


The King's Coat

by Aki_The_Shiftless



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Kaiba's trenchcoat, One Shot, Other, Romantic Comedy, Some angst, gender neutral!reader, honorifics are used when relevent, humor-hopefully that is, sarcasm abound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25400644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aki_The_Shiftless/pseuds/Aki_The_Shiftless
Summary: The worst day imaginable for the student body of Domino High is the day Seto Kaiba, THE Seto Kaiba loses his coat. Somehow, you were the only one who seemed to realize the sheer necessity of finding the thing and getting it BACK.You were also the only one, apparently, who could do it.Damnit- and you were doing so well trying to smoother your crush on him.
Relationships: Kaiba Mokuba & Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto & Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 65





	The King's Coat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HibiscusMist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HibiscusMist/gifts).



> I own nothing of Yu-gi-oh or any affiliates of the series, only the story. You belong to you and the characters primarily featured belongs to the creator Takahashi Kazuki
> 
> Dedicated to HibiscusMist since the talk about Fae!Kaiba brought me around to getting interested in this AU i wrote again so please thank them for me finally getting this done

The King’s Coat

* * *

Kaiba’s Coat was a character in itself, everyone with a screen saw it when he went on television to announce a new tournament ~~in yet another ploy to dethrone Yugi Muto~~. It was as iconic as said number 1 duelists’ weird hair. So logically speaking, everyone and their grandmother knew that if Kaiba lost his coat- shit would go down.

The Coat, as it was often referred to by the students of Domino High- was a thing that deserved its capital C. Everyone in the class bared witness when Kaiba tore into regulations to the head of the school about his coat when he was being lectured about having it around. He hadn’t worn it over his school uniform, but he kept it around. Close by. Presumably, so that no one would get their paws on its pristine white cloth.

So yeah- no one got to touch the Coat. _No one._ Not Yugi, not anyone (let’s face it, if Yugi couldn’t- no one could), and even _Jounouchi Katsuya_ never went as far as to threaten the Coat. Realistically speaking, there was only one other person who got to touch it and that person was Mokuba Kaiba- and he wasn’t even part of your high school, much less your grade. 

So when the Coat went missing when everyone was herded back to class from a fire scare- everyone fully expected to witness Seto Kaiba, CEO to Kaiba Corp _blow the fuck up._

You, included.

What you didn’t expect (and vaguely thought that no one else really saw) was the twinge of fear you could vaguely see in usually _sapphire_ hard eyes. Which- honestly, you thought you hallucinated.

But apparently you didn’t, because you were a stalker.

Not in a way that you intended to- but apparently fate or whatever cosmic entity that happened to be in charge of coincidence (who is an absolute asshole by the way) always put you near the Gang, as you had come to call them. Namely- Muto Yugi + Co. + Kaiba Seto. You thought seeing them on Duelist Kingdom (an honest to fuck _nightmare_ ) was just a dumb coincidence, the digital universe was a fucking _fluke_ (it was a quick way to earn a buck) _,_ the whole Atlantis giant fucking eye in the sky was weird but it was that shitty moment that told you that it was a goddamn pattern (you don’t even remember how that shit happened). You even started calling it a fucked up version of the Baader-Meinhof principle. The whole tournament thing was something you were never going to bring up.

_Ever._

The worst part was, you also had a crush on the standoffish billionaire. Sure it wasn’t anything new, but you understood on the get-go that the guy didn’t have the time nor cared for anything other than his business, beating Yugi, and Mokuba; in reverse order. So you just kept to yourself and tried to limit exposure as much as possible.

Keyword being: _tried_ ; you _tried_ to limit the exposure as much as possible. But nope, next thing you knew, you were staring in bewilderment from under the shade of some clay building as you watched a guy that _looked_ like Kaiba in a headdress summon a blue eyes before Kaiba-Kaiba (fuck that was confusing) summoned his blue eyes ultimate. _And then_ you watched as Yugi-look-alike (who was actually a Pharaoh???) beat the big bad (what the hell kind of name was _Zorc?_ ) and day was saved _blah blah blah._ The point of the tangent was to indicate that no matter what you did, you _always_ ran into Kaiba. As such- you were now very familiar with his various expressions.

So you recognized that look, one that you saw only _once_ when Kaiba lost to Pegasus, his little brother’s name and apology on his breath until he faded into a soulless statue. (You were genuinely concerned about how you felt about that- but it wasn’t as if you could go to therapy considering that may just be the one way ticket to pillowed walls.)

Pure panic. Fear. Something that felt unsettling and _crawling_ just watching Kaiba run through the emotion before locking it away with a blink. Easing into the easy scowl that often scared away everyone (for a damn good reason, good god the man was terrifying when he wanted to be) except for Yugi. Possibly Jounouchi but you weren’t sure.

Yugi was untouchable really. An asshole for a shadow partner-thing, facing down homicidal maniacs hell-bent on taking souls and taking over the world. _Saving_ said world multiple times. All before graduating high school and a little after saying goodbye to shadow partner turned best friend for _ever_. Oh- and also graciously taking up the 17-year-old semi-grown man/child’s challenge for a duel on a daily basis when you both know that the stubborn long-legged billionaire was low-key mourning the loss of the first crush he ever had (hint- it was the shadow partner thing- at least that’s what the elevator to space told you- but _come on._ An _elevator._ To _space_ ) who just so happened to also look like Yugi Muto _._ Seriously. Goals.

And while you admired Yugi Muto and his low-key badass-ness (the boy almost drowned saving his living breathing BFF, if that didn’t make him a candidate for most awesome human being ever you were going to square up with Guinness themselves) you were more mildly terrified about the look of very much out of character-ness Kaiba had exhibited for a brief moment just a few seconds ago.

So, as you blocked out the sound and image of Kaiba ripping a new one into someone who you didn’t even know- because you liked to preserve your healthy lack of not shaking in your boots whenever he was near- you resolved that you’d find the damn thing.

Because the universe is in serious danger of imploding if _Seto_ “I-have-36-copies-of-that-card” _Kaiba_ was actually _panicked._ This was a matter of national security _and_ public service _and_ self-preservation because your ass sat _right next to the man._ It totally had nothing to do with the fact that seeing him that panicked left you on edge for a more personal reason. A reason in which involved _emotions._

Or at least that’s what you would have rather liked to think it was.

No- it definitely was, he just made that girl _cry._ In the name of freaking _Ra._

With resolve in your mind, you fully blocked out everyone and began trying to _Sherlock_ your way through this mess- completely missing Kaiba as he glared at everyone in the room.

“If anyone of you _incompetent dweebs_ lay a _finger_ on my Coat I will _personally_ sue you until you are up to your _eyes_ in lawsuits.”

Yugi was the only one who noticed Kaiba’s eyes glowing slightly, the edge of an inhumane growl permeating through the classroom that left everyone with a prey-like fear. He chose not to comment.

He was honestly just trying to get through the year without any _more_ supernatural bullshit thank-you-very-much.

_-_

Trying to find the Coat was a lot harder than you thought.

First of all, you had to go through a mental trapeze of what you remembered prior to the fire alarm. It was difficult but you vaguely remembered overhearing that some girls had tripped the alarm on purpose and was currently being investigated. Which left a couple of plausible explanations.

One- was that in the chaos the coat was misplaced and moved by one of the janitors.

Two- the coat was taken by a student and misplaced

Three- and unfortunately the wildest and honestly, the most likely: One of Kaiba’s fangirls recognized the coat, uncharacteristically unguarded and pranced on the opportunity to snatch it.

Domino High, talented duelists, crazy ass people, and sometimes both. You personally saved yourself some dignity by _not_ categorizing yourself.

So with that in mind, you decided to do some snooping.

Cleaning duty was something no one really _wanted_ to do but did anyway. Which was why it was ridiculously easy to drop in on some of the other students and offer that you take up their duties so that they could go home early. Thus- leaving you to patrol relatively freely for the missing victim.

By victim- you mean an inanimate object that you needed to find for the sake of saving everyone (minus Yugi) from Kaiba’s terrifying temper and _maybe_ more or less so you can make him glare at you a little less.

So your first bet was the unofficial official meeting room for Kaiba’s fan club.

Namely- the second-floor janitors closet that was decommissioned from its original job due to the fact that the hinges kept getting stuck. Since it was right under the old air conditioning unit- some of the fluid would drip on it and cause rust to form over the hinges. They’d replace the hinges- but after a while, it just didn’t make sense to keep replacing the hinges when the real issue was the air conditioner- so it was just left an empty room. Now repurposed as a base for the average teenage fantasizer on the subject of Seto Kaiba.

Honestly speaking, you couldn’t blame them either. Not only would that be hypocritical, but the man was handsome and so _Alpha_ that he just kinda fills out everyone’s wish list so-to-speak. You just held your self-preservation instincts to a higher importance and had a _much_ healthier grasp on reality. Which really meant that your self-esteem was pretty shit honestly because there were some _gorgeous_ people that threw themselves at Kaiba and found themselves getting rejected all the same.

It didn't stop the crush from happening of course...but anyone with eyes could see how much the asshole cared about the people under his care. It was probably why your crush was refusing to back down instead of dying quietly like it needs to.

When it came down to it though, you didn’t know _how_ exactly the old janitor closet became the home base for the Kaiba fan club, and frankly, you didn’t _want_ to know but for the sake of everyone in the damn school- you were going to march in there and rescue the victim even if you had to knock out a couple of people.

A couple of bruises and scathing looks were worth not having to sit next to a _prissy Kaiba._ Because prissy Kaiba was actually kind of attractive but so not worth the emotional trauma.

Quieting your footsteps and straining your ears for a moment you managed to figure just about two people were in the “meeting room” which- made things easier. And…harder.

On one hand, less people to potentially knock out (distract).

On the other, since there were only two people that would mean it was probably two of the most dedicated (read: craziest) of Kaiba’s fans left in there. Which meant that there could possibly be some bloodshed, in all honesty.

But whatever, no pain- no gain. ( _Who the hell came up with that anyway?)_

You took a breath and opened up the door.

It was…worse than you thought.

Azuma Mana was a well-known fanatic throughout the school- the issue was that she was a fanatic who practiced _Judo_. Which meant that not only would she defend that damn coat with all her might- she’d be _good_ at it too.

Hada Suzu on the other hand, didn’t exactly have formal training, but apparently her family were descendants of former samurai and decided to keep up the practicing of self-defense from generation to generation. Her eldest siblings were _nationally ranked._ She was also the vice president of the _damn club_.

You regarded them as calmly as you could without giving away what you were here for, “Azuma. Hada.”

They had the coat between their relatively pristine hands, by no means where they delicate or long like some of the other girls favored- but they were clean and were rubbing the material between their fingers reverently.

C.R.E.E.P.Y.

At your voice, they turned, the coat still held between them as they starred you down and assessed your threat. Visibly relaxing for a moment.

“Sorry- did we missed the bell? We were preoccupied,” Hada put on a smile that sent chills down your spine.

“We found Seto-kun’s coat,” Azuma added, presenting the coat with pride. “We’ll give it to him as soon as possible.”

“Right- well,” You _could_ have just left it but you had a distinct feeling that they weren’t going to let that coat go- “ _Kaiba_ -san’s actually going to a meeting and he _needs_ his coat- so…” You made a vague motion. “How about I could just hand it over to him…and I’ll tell him you guys found it?”

Suspicions were officially aroused.

Azuma’s eyes had narrowed throughout your question, “Well- I mean. He’s pretty rich. Maybe he won’t notice if one little coat goes missing. I think I feel safer handing it to him _myself_.”

“My thoughts exactly,” You nodded encouragingly. “He should still be in class- so we’ll _all_ walk it over and hand it back.”

Clearly- they were annoyed at you.

“How about- we’ll hand it over as soon as we get it clean again?” Hada said. “You don’t have to worry, we’ll get it to Seto-kun soon.”

“Well, he’s leaving _now_ so…” You motioned as if you were all going to go and merrily surrender the Coat.

At this, Azuma snapped, scowling at you fully, “Look- we’ll give it back now go away.”

“When?” You demanded. Irritation spiking, because you _hated_ these types of people. It made your own attitude toward Kaiba look like shit because of people like _them._ You’ve had a crush on the guy for _three freaking years_ ever since he showed up to Domino High. But you understood that the guy just wasn’t interested in anything but dueling Yugi and taking care of Mokuba, so you resolutely _backed off_ and took steps to forget the stupid crush as much as you could until a lack of proximity could reduce your feelings into something more akin to _just_ respect for the man. Even if fear would be the main cause of that respect. “In ten years so you could start a conversation with him and somehow seduce him into liking you? That’s never going to happen, just give it back- because frankly- he’s pissed off and he wants his _damn Coat back_. So _hand it over_.”

“How do we know _you_ don’t just want it for yourself??” Hada growled, gripping her sighed.

“Because I’m not the lady _next to you_ ,” Through gritted teeth, you could feel your annoyance bubbling higher just before Hada flipped and turned on Azuma.

“Hada don’t be stupid, I was going to _share_ with you-“

“Shut up Azuma-”

While the two girls were fighting over the Coat, you vaguely worried as the fabric stretched- you were damn sure that it wasn’t good for the poor thing.

-

Kaiba grunted as he felt like he was being pulled apart, a growl snapping at another girl’s approach as he impatiently went through classroom to classroom.

He needed his Coat and he needed it _now_.

-

Using their argument as a distraction- you shot forward, slamming your body into Hada who was the biggest threat with her actual hand-to-hand combat experience, snatching away the Coat and running full tilt out the door and downstairs.

You mindlessly smoothed your hand against the oddly furred material. You always through it was some sort of leather or felt but now that you had your hands on it, it was more like ridiculously smooth velvet or something. Probably more expensive than your life that was for sure.

-

Kaiba felt a shudder as the tension eased, suddenly there was a phantom sensation of a hand smoothing down his back that felt oddly good.

He shook his head out of it and went back to continue his search- just before some idiot decided to slam into him full speed. On automatic, Kaiba braced himself. His nose flaring as the air suddenly filled with something familiar and...odd. 

He went down with a grunt, watching as the whoever was imbecilic enough to run in the hall scrambled for purchase before freezing.

-

You stared wide-eyed down at Kaiba, for a moment, your body seizing in some sort of weird flight-or-fight response as you suddenly froze like some possum in the presence of a bigger, carnivorous animal.

That and you had just slammed into and was on _top_ of _Seto **fucking** Kaiba_.

“Get. Off. _Me_.”

“Right!” You scrambled back, absentmindedly switching your hold on the coat so it wouldn’t touch the floor as you managed to back up against a solid wall. Feet securely pushing you up and off, your arms extended with a pop of your elbows as you presented your prize. “Your Coat- I mean- I found it. Well- more like stole it from a couple of girls who look like they intended on keeping it.”

He was quiet, Kaiba. _Seto Kaiba_ was quiet. And that made you nervous.

“Um-“ You delicately, slowly pushed the Coat into Kaiba’s chest. Your hands slipping down to your sides as he automatically went to grab it. “There- anyway, now you won’t be so pissed off- which is a good thing. Really _really_ good thing.”

He still didn’t say anything. Which also really _really **wasn’t**_ a good thing.

“Anyway- I uh. I’m gonna go home. SeeyoutomorrowKaiba-san,” You bowed before getting the hell out of there.

Kaiba watched you go, still relatively in a state of shock.

-

You didn’t want to go to school that next day.

You just- you didn’t.

But at the same time, Kaiba had his coat back. Crisis successfully averted. Hurray, balloons and cake and jolly good well done.

Except no one got you cake- not even a good job or a balloon. Because they were ungrateful bastards who didn’t realize that you had just diverted _calamity._ Lame.

Against your better judgment, it felt nice that you managed to become the reason why Kaiba probably would be less in a prickly mood. And you were looking forward to the looming silence whenever that was the case as you sat in your desk. Which already presented issues, namely because you got to said desk before Kaiba arrived at his own.

And while you never were one for being late- you never arrived _earlier_ than Kaiba. Hence why the entire situation was _really_ weird.

So it was _really **really**_ fucking weird when Kaiba walked in with a single rose.

Aimed at your face.

“What?”

“Just take it.”

Mid-panic, you scrambled to delicately pluck the flower from his hands, rolling the pure white rose between your fingers; a flush overtaking your features much to your horror. “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome.” Kaiba blinked, briefly startled like he hadn't meant to say it. 

He didn’t say _anything_ after. 

Which- what the _fuck_.

 _It’s just a rose of gratitude,_ You rationalized later that day. At home. Having an internal crisis while you stared at the blank screen of the laptop you hadn’t touched since turning it on nearly half an hour ago. _He just wanted to say thank you and just happened to have a rose lying around. Probably in that huge garden he might have._ You had _felt_ Hada and Azuma’s gazes boring into your back when you walked out of school that day.

But you _refused_ to feel floaty from a stupid flower.

You sighed to yourself before getting up to look for a charger. “Just gratitude- _gratitude._ ”

-

The next day was even _weirder._

It started out normal enough: get to school, sit your ass down, wait. Kaiba comes in. Wait. Class starts.

But that foolish sense of normality abruptly collapsed as you stared at the blue-eyes blue bento cloth in front of you with horror and also mild delight.

On one hand- you wouldn’t starve for lunch.

On the other hand- you wouldn’t starve because _Seto fucking Kaiba_ made you a goddamn _bento_.

Your face made opened-mouth motions as Kaiba held it in front of you from his desk, impatient and weirdly- nervous.

It just looked so damn _wrong_ on so. Many. Levels.

You reached out, grabbing the box and gently setting it onto your own desk, “Thanks?”

Kaiba only gave you a crisp nod before turning to himself and reading some book that was probably too advanced for you to make head or tails from.

You almost damn near had a heart attack when you opened the bento and found a _blue eyes white dragon made of food and little tiny hearts._

It was adorable- the very much _diabetic_ type of sweetness that did nothing but both endear you and freak you the fuck out. The fish was fresh as _hell_. Like a high-grade salmon freshly imported from the _harbor_ type of fresh. The kind of fish that you had to get up at _three in the morning_ to get in freaking _Japan._

Still- you were endeared. Absolutely terrified, but endeared. It was even more terrifying than the fact that Hada and Azuma’s eyes was trying to burn a hole into your skull.

You ate it regardless- food was food. You weren’t going to waste it just because you were having an internal mental breakdown. _Thou shalt not waste_ and all that.

But you couldn’t help but smile a little as you ate it.

If Yugi was giving you a considering look while you hesitantly ate the damn fish, you were neither paying attention nor would you have been concerned about it even if you knew.

-

When you saw him walk in with a plush (a very high quality but no doubt an actual _stuffed toy_ ) you lost it.

“Okay-“ You stood up stiffly, ignoring everyone’s looks and your own heart pounding loudly in your ears as you shot forward and grabbed the taller man. Under no illusions that the only reason why he was even moving in the first place was just because he was _letting_ you drag him out to an undisclosed location. Away from snooping ears and students. Because privacy was _awesome._

“What in the name of sanity is going on?” You grumbled at him half-heartedly. “The rose was weird- but I thought you were saying thanks or something. The food was _really_ funky but I was hungry as hell and it was delicious and probably worth more than my monetary savings- and now the plush-“

You cut yourself off with helpless noises, “I- you’re honestly being really fucking confusing ever since I gave you back your coat.”

Kaiba starred you down- which was unnerving and _scary_ but you honestly didn’t give a shit if you spontaneously combusted right there because damn it- you wanted answers and you wanted them _yesterday._

“I told everyone that I would sue them up to their eyes if they touched my coat.”

You paused, pursing your lip, “Yeah- um. I kind of…missed. That.”

He rose a skeptical eyebrow.

“So…” You trailed off uselessly. “Um, well. If your plan was to bury me in bills from the random-ass gifts you’ve been giving me- it worked I guess? It’s a weird way but- I mean. You’ve kinda put me at a loss here Kaiba.”

You left off the respectful suffix due to the fact that- well, it’s just about how _done_ you were with everything.

He sighed. Suffering. As if HE was the one who was going through circus hoops in the intent on figuring out what the hell was going on. Which- no fair- he definitely knew way more than you did at the moment. Hence your internal breakdowns throughout the day as you tried to put a label on _whatever_ this was, and you were deliberately _avoiding_ any romantic context.

But damn it- you couldn’t help but hope maybe a _little._

“Are you just messing with me- because if you are that will solve _so many questions that I have_ ,” You groaned. “Just throw me a lawsuit or something because this whole thing is giving me a headache the size of the _sun_ just trying to figure out what you want from me.”

“That is _not_ the reason this is happening,” He growled. And the strange thing? You weren’t scared. Not once were you genuinely terrified like you usually were. It was as if something instinctual in you sensed that Kaiba was barking more than he was biting- and _that_ was the biggest, weirdest part of this whole damn thing.

“I threatened everyone for a _reason-_ because I _knew_ that this would happen,” He proceeded to grit, the plush in his hands squishing from how tight his grip was on it. Which- the entire _image_ was ridiculous already.

“What? You’re being forced to co- cour-“ You cut yourself off because you couldn’t even bring yourself to _say the damn word._ It hit way too close to home for you to even contemplate the possibility, you _got over it_ you didn’t need to hope when the end result was just going to squash it down again. Doing it the first time was hard enough. You continued again, if a bit shakily. “That is the most _ridiculous_ thing I have _ever_ heard.”

“Well I am _glad_ you have some modicum of _brain cells_ to comprehend my point of view,” through gritted teeth, his tone was clipped and cold, “It isn’t as if I _wanted_ to humiliate myself doing these ridiculous things.”

That hurt. Deeply. Enough that your irritation spiked again in hopes that it would stave off the misery a little longer. Because while you did like him- you had your pride, and you weren’t about to burst into tears in front of him over something you already knew, “Then _stop doing them_.”

“I _can’t!”_

You threw your hands up in exasperation and frustration, your temper flaring from the combination of insults and pain that currently had your chest throbbing in unpleasant ways. Uncomfortable, slightly humiliated, and most of all- _fed up,_ your patience snapped. A savage growl rumbling through your chest as if you were a very pissed off beast (you were, technically speaking), “WHY THE _FUCK_ NOT?!”

You blinked as Kaiba reeled back, an emotion flaring behind his eyes- which…

Were _glowing_.

The frustration took a brief backseat as you stared, mouth left open. Not necessarily in shock- (not after all the shit you’ve seen) but just- loss.

You stared at his eyes- wrong not just because they were glowing but because his pupils were _wide._ Enough that had it not been for the eerie glow- you wouldn’t have been able to see much of his iris. At first you thought it was a normal contraction- but there just wasn’t enough dilation for you to justify it.

“What’s going on?” The whisper seemed even louder in the empty hall.

Then it hit you.

Glowing eyes.

The weird growls.

The mild threat displays.

The fucking _courting_.

And the _god. Damn. **Coat.**_ A big fucking example a clue as a lighthouse in a foggy harbor- such a piece of glaringly obvious and damning evidence that you had to be a _special_ kind of ignorant to _not_ know what it meant. Especially being the type of person who became mythical creature nerd because of the sheer amount of _shitshow_ you saw.

You looked up, staring him in the eyes as you slowly stepped back, the pieces fitting together like a fucking Jenga puzzle as that western animated movie that came up a couple of years ago reeled its head. A story about two siblings trying to find their way back home, one human the other-

“Are-” The disbelief rang even more clear and loud in the silence of the halls, seeming to echo with how _monumental_ the realization seemed to be. “Are you a fucking _selkie_?!”

Kaiba twitched, his nose was honest to fuck _flaring_ like he was sensing something that he didn’t particularly like. But saying _nothing_. You always thought it was just some funky tick that he picked up when he was younger.

“What? Am I right? Am I wrong? Have I finally lost my shit?!” Admittedly the last question came out in a bit of a shrill.

“No.”

“No? No to what?”

“No- you haven’t lost your shit,” Kaiba quoted back, quieter. Yet somehow even louder than every fucking sound that existed within a 5-meter radius from you. His fingers flexed around the plush again before shoved it toward you.

You took it in your hands, a little numb from the bombshell- but you had to- if he really _is_ a selkie then _shit._ You just forced the man into-

You swallowed, mouth dry all of a sudden as the realization came with a _crash_.

“How do I stop it?”

Kaiba stared at you, startled, “Stop _what?”_

“This- this whole fucked up situation,” You expressed the vastness of it with your hands, throat on the verge of closing. The stuffed toy falling to the ground in your attempt to articulate your thoughts into something at least halfway coherent. “How do I stop it- there _is_ a way to stop it right? I can’t- I can’t make you do this no matter how much of an asshole you are or how much I find you ridiculously attractive because this makes me no better than _them_ and I can’t oh fuck- I- I've always- I fucking can’t be like _them-_ -I am _so sorry-”_

Your knees buckled, Kaiba instantly following you down as you sank harshly, hyperventilating as panic and a sudden re-examination of your entire _life_ took place. Because- because if you were right and this _really_ happened and you weren’t able to change _any_ of it? What made you so different from those ridiculous so-called fans that you hated so much? Your grandparents who you always hated and wished that they'd just drop into a fiery pit with spikes. What right did you have to take away a person’s damn _choices_ just because of your own feelings _?_ The thought itself might have made you shudder uncomfortably on a _normal_ day, but right now? With everything that’s come to light? The realization was _earth-shattering._

Kaiba mostly starred at a loss while you scrambled to make sense of the fact that you more or less blackmailed Seto Kaiba into courting you which was just _wrong._ Even if it wasn't Kaiba, it was wrong on _so many levels_ and you _refused_ to be the asshole fisherman of the story. But you were weren’t you? You were the asshole fisherman and you had been _happy_ about it, even if it was just a little while.

And then you found yourself under the man- selkie's? Chin. A deep rumble regenerating from his chest and making a pleasant feeling throb.

“Enough. You smell putrid when you’re panicked.” Kaiba’s expression was tight, strict in a weirdly comforting way that eased the pressure on your lungs just a tad. You wouldn’t know it, but he had also went as far as to ignore how the almost knee-buckling _misery_ practically overshadowed the panic. Only through sheer willpower and practice had he been able to smooth out the snarl that instinctively curled over his expression. 

You shuddered, gasping while you tried to get everything under control.

“Well,” You paused with a mild wheeze, breath still very much stuck between the air and your throat. “ _Sorry_.”

You could feel Kaiba’s diaphragm flex under your hand, placed there so that you could put some space between the two of you in _some_ way. The mere thought of being this intimate with the man after forcing him in the position was nearly enough to set you off again.

Kaiba pretended not to hear just how much meaning was loaded into one single apology.

His instincts reared its head, snapping and demanding him to make whatever was upsetting you to go away. A little difficult when he _knew_ that the thing upsetting you was _him_.

When the thought left a bad taste in his mouth, he blamed it on his instincts. The courting ritual was obviously messing with his head.

The next few minutes were a blur as you felt a strong arm carefully pull you somewhere else.

-

You awkwardly took a sip from the lukewarm hot chocolate one of Kaiba’s maids gave you, soothing some of the residual pain from the panic attack nearly an hour earlier. With a clearer head that allowed you to observe your surroundings, you honestly felt shabby in your school uniform within the grand example of architecture that is, the Kaiba Mansion. If it wasn’t for the mood- you would have called Kaiba a dirty liar when he denied it being anything remotely similar to a castle- this place looked like it had too many damn rooms _not_ to be.

Following that analogy, technically speaking you were currently sipping your mug of hot chocolate in the throne room. Where all who reside upon thine castle shalt stand for judgment.

Kaiba’s office.

You tended to have a weird sense of humor after stoking in self-loathing for a while.

It was a surprisingly homey office despite the harsh white color scheme. The couches were plush and soft and the walls were decorated with childish drawings of blue eyes white dragons framed and carefully labeled by the artist and year received. (Which you regretted taking a look at because it didn’t help your feelings of guilt and attraction.) Within the center of the room, a grand desk sat neatly in its middle that sheathed a large white leather seat that looked expensive. On top of what looked like glass and steel-framed desk sat what was probably the most advanced set of tri-monitors you had ever seen, with the flat top of the table indented slightly with a smooth black screen. Thin enough to match with the rest of the glass perfectly. It was what you assumed would be a secondary screen or keyboard when Kaiba decided to boot up what must have been a beast of a computer. You had been placed on the seat in front of the desk, an off-white color that was slanted slightly so you could look to the owner of the desk without having to gaze over the tri-monitor setup. Where Kaiba sat.

Kaiba sat there, drinking a coffee of his own. His nose flaring every now and then as if checking on something. Your emotional state, if you were to hazard a guess. Stupid chemosignals.

You took another sip, mostly to steel yourself but also to try and rationalize what was going on.

One fact was obvious, Kaiba was a selkie. A male selkie (weirdly enough) but a selkie. From what you knew of the mythos- selkie were often obligated to marry whoever gave them back their lost pelt- the Coat, in Kaiba’s case.

You didn’t really know if there were stories where the case didn’t happen, but between yourself and Kaiba- you were sure there was a loophole. There had to be. Because you didn’t spend three years systematically suppressing a crush that you had known was useless just to have it thrown back into your face again. It was hard enough as it was _right now_ to keep that crush in check and you had been forced to admit you still had it after two years of doing otherwise.

A pain in the _ass_ by the way. 

“So,” The brisk sound came out a quiet whisper. “I accidentally proposed to you.”

“You did,” Kaiba answered- equally as quiet yet crisp and clipped. A sound that nearly made you wince.

You pursed your lips, thinking, “Is there any way that I can stop this? Cancel the proposal?”

Kaiba scowled, “Even if we mutually agreed that this relationship would be ridiculous, we’d have to wait until the next full moon to officially break off the…engagement.”

You frowned, not recalling that part of the story, “Why specifically? Tradition?”

“No,” Kaiba answered, face still set into an annoyed scowl. His bright eyes, not glowing, but bright nevertheless were bored into the side of the room. “if you were to constantly reject my…actions before the full moon- not only would you be a magnet for other creatures- but my…creature side will grow possessive.”

“Possessive,” the room echoed with that one word. “And what would happen if we wait until the full moon for rejection?”

“My creature side will acknowledge your will and I can go back to my normal life.” You immediately squashed the sudden indignity and hurt that propped up from the wording, it wasn’t the time and he had every right to feel that way. You resolved that you would properly bawl your eyes out the moment you knew for certain that you would be left alone for a while.

Taking a deep breath to contain your emotions, you caught a moment in that statement that indicated Kaiba was going to keep quiet about something- which you raised your eyebrow to. There was actually _a lot_ he was being vague about but you weren't even sure where to begin to ask. His scowl lightened slightly as a faded soft pink overtook the apples of his cheek bones. It was stupidly unfair. “Unfortunately since my particular species is possessive of both existing and potential mates, anything before the full moon _will_ result in bloodshed.”

“’Your species’?” You quoted, frowning. “What the hell kind of seal would that be? Elephant?”

He smirked at you, easy and predatory that brought a shiver to your spine that was _not_ all out of discomfort. “Leopard.”

Images of a sleek animal that was second to the goddamn _Orca_ in terms of the Antarctic food chain surged to the surface. A little bigger than a full-grown human male, gray and white, with sharp _teeth._ That fed on _penguins._

In that moment, you knew Kaiba wasn’t exaggerating when he said there could be bloodshed.

-

“Do I really have to stay **_here_**?” You asked, a childish tilt in your voice that spoke volumes about how much you _didn’t_ want to. In fact, you only resorted to that tactic when you were in _desperate need._

“Unless you want me showing up at your doorstep early in the morning with food and flowers- yes. You are.”

You rolled your eyes, “As if you would give me the choice to anyway.”

Kaiba tilted his head, which was **s** o goddamn _unfair,_ “So you aren’t entirely stupid after all.”

“I scored under _you_ during the exams,” You grumbled under your breath. Trying to ignore the way his hair had shifted with the movement that made him look…you didn’t want to say it. Saying it would feel like losing.

Kaiba only scoffed in response, “If you hadn’t wasted your time helping that mutt you would have scored higher.”

He left before you could ask him how he knew you had stayed up late into the morning that day.

The most unexpected thing, Kaiba wondered to himself privately while he sat down to continue his work. Was why you didn’t question the possibility of selkies _existing_.

-

All in all, staying at the Kaiba castle wasn’t that bad at first. For the most part- while Mokuba was made aware of your existence within _Casa de la Kaiba_ the guy had so much to do for school that you just never ran into each other. Kaiba was busy with his CEO work- he often demanded you stay within his range in case anything happened.

Which was a _huge fucking problem_ in which you mean it was kind of heartwarming in the _worst way_ but whatever, his office had the fastest Wi-fi anyway. You weren’t going to complain too much since you were able to catch up on your favorite shows while he sat there and worked and generally just ignored you until he remembered your existence via urge. Kaiba’s branded earphones were jammed in your ears during those moments because apparently your _piece of shit earphones_ (he didn’t _say it_ but it was clearly written into his expression as he handed it to you) did nothing for Kaiba’s weirdly sensitive hearing. Then again- _some_ seals are known for having a stronger hearing sensitivity than humans so all in all- it was plausible considering the rather… _unique_ circumstance. 

It was actually the week later- two weeks from the full moon, you had that shit _marked_ , that it was starting to feel like hell.

Actual, burning, hell.

You were jittery as you deliberately stayed _away_ from Kaiba, much to his annoyance (not that you were aware enough of it to care) but you were starting to feel that familiar grip of mild insanity from staying in one place _near_ him for that long.

At school, you tended to deliberately _try_ to ignore the teenage CEO in favor of talking to some of your acquaintances about nonsense. You could hardly call it a conversation between friends considering you usually talked about the upcoming weather or next game, but it was something that had sufficiently distracted the majority of your mind from the male supermodel sitting _next to you_.

But apparently, Kaiba failed to mention that once you noticed his instinctual attempts and acknowledged that you _knew_ about it the result would be the start of a whole new kind of _hell._

One of the things that you noticed off the gate was the fact that the _Fucker_ was _possessive_. You barely exchanged a social conditioned ‘hello’ to _Jounouchi Katsuya_ before you could feel the piercing stare and quiet growling. Which- at first you wrote it off and quietly took note as you tended to because of your stupidly observant mind when it came to the guy. That aside, you pinned down the fact that you should _probably_ avoid interactions to Katsuya considering the well-known _mutual_ hatred between the two. You couldn’t say _rivalry,_ because Muto had the role _reserved._ But when you got sucked into a conversation with _Anzu Mazaki_ about freaking _music_ for a _choreography_ that she had to do for a _project_ for _school?!_ Same. Damn. Reaction.

And you were _pretty_ damn sure that she only went to get your opinion because of widespread knowledge in your school that you actually listened to Western music _and_ understood it. The curse of being the literally _only person besides Seto Kaiba_ who scored perfect in English.

It was that moment of hearing the growling crawl up your spine that you regretted doing _Rap God_ for that one project for class that one year. You thought it would be _funny_ to see everyone’s expressions as you ratted off Eminem’s lines in a perfect accent and pronunciation. But no, it only came back to bite you in the ass.

You quickly ended the conversation under the excuse that you had some homework you needed to finish, leaving her with some recommendations from both old and latest from the current western music industry. It was funky- actually leaning _towards_ Kaiba in what you hoped was a subtle attempt to pacify the beast instead of _away_ like you normally did.

....And the image was there- okay. _Nope_.

 _ANyway,_ the point still stood. You were going subtly insane from how much proximity you had to put in order to satisfy the apparent touchy beast that was Kaiba the Selkie.

So you ditched him the next Friday since pseudo moving into _Casa De La Kaiba_ after school.

The task was hilariously easy as you sped off faster than everyone else towards the entrance. Pace brisk as you walked further and further away from the high school and more into the main city. Slipping into a comfy hoodie that perfectly blended you in with the rest of the tourists.

Going through the more unsavory parts of Domino City wasn’t that bad, not for you anyway. The trip was often enough that you were familiar with the good and the bad crowds. You nodded to the good folk and glared at the rest with all your annoyance and frustration from the past week poured in. Turning away the bad with a glance. While normally you would take the more “tourist friendly” route, you were trying to avoid Kaiba, and instinct or not, he wouldn’t be caught dead traversing through the red light districts.

But you really should have expected that _someone_ was going to try something.

You heard them before you saw them. Their heels clicking on the uneven concrete as some of the residents of the more seedy side of Domino looked at them with curious gazes, but knew not to interfere.

The clock to the head caught you off guard, slamming into the pavement forehead first enough that you were able to register the spots that spread across your vision. Instincts kicked into high gear, scrambling upward and swinging your bag with the attempt to put some space between you and your assailants.

You squinted at them, ignoring the ringing in your ears, “Azuma. Hada. Fancy seeing you here.”

One of the two- you honestly couldn’t give less of a shit, hissed something at you. Probably an insult, the fact of it was that you didn’t care.

You could call Kaiba, he had sicked his phone number on your phone’s speed dial the second day of your stay, but that meant meeting up with the same guy you were trying to _avoid_. So that plan was out, fortunately for you- you had the home-field advantage as the Americans liked to say.

You grinned at them, wide and open and _definitely_ catching them off guard as you abruptly heard the babble cut off. It wasn’t as if you were able to understand, the ringing in your ears was too loud and the vague approximation of what could be a concussion was frankly more important than a couple of insults towards you're person and possibly you're virginity. You didn’t know, but they seemed like the type of basic people who would sink that low.

Then you ran for it.

Just because you had the advantage didn’t mean you were going to _fight them._ Not when both of them have combat training.

Thankfully, everything was familiar enough that you could probably navigate these streets blindfolded with a killer headache. Hell, even some of the people who knew you subtly did their own way of holding off the outsiders. Moving at the “wrong” time, haphazardly throwing their bottles. It was _great_ really, watching through mirrors and occasional looks back as they sputtered in the face of _trash_ being thrown at them.

It was almost enough to forget that you were probably bleeding, if that stream of wet feeling down the side of your face was any indication.

After roughly anywhere from five to twenty minutes- you were home.

-

Your apartment wasn’t big, in fact, you doubted you would think of any building as big in the face of _Casa de La Kaiba._ (The name of which you were never going to change.) For a one-room apartment in Japan with a very small kitchenette, it was still home.

You hummed as you walked through the apartment, squatting under the small sink for the bright red back full of emergency items.

You hummed a random top 50 song you ran into on YouTube, doing anything you could to keep your mind awake and mildly focused as you began to systematically pull what you needed from the kit. Ibuprofen, bandages, antiseptic- the works.

With a grunt of mild satisfaction, you took the patch of gauze, medical tape, and other necessities with you to the nearby futon. Pulling out a small mirror as you looked to see the damage.

Using a tissue to wipe at the dried blood, you “humph”ed as you noticed the swelling. So far- you could sense the headache and the now very light ringing, your sense of balance wasn’t compromised but you weren’t as nimble as you should have been; banging your knee on the small coffee table on the way to the living space. The soft light of the room was somehow enough to irritate you, which also added to your self-diagnoses. The only thing you were missing, thankfully, was the memory loss. You were able to recount your year, birthday, age, and months from December to January.

So all in all, not bad for a concussion. So much so that there was a very possible chance that you were overestimating your injuries a little, a doctor you were not. However, given the fact that you a) didn’t want to go and b) didn’t feel like you were going to die, you figured you were okay. 

Taking a swab of the cotton bundle, you carefully started on disinfecting and dressing the wound. The result of which being the medical tape holding up the patch of gauze securely onto the now only dribbling wound. After stuffing yourself with some food, the ibuprofen did its work as well.

“Bedrest,” You stated into the empty living room with an air of finality. “Definitely need bed rest.”

You pushed yourself against the futon, its couch form’s arm serving as your backrest as you pulled a soft velvet blanket over yourself and promptly, stared into the ceiling.

 _At least I’m not around Kaiba_ you thought to yourself before your eyes shut for the next two hours.

-

Your eyes opened to the ominous quiet _clicks_ of a keyboard echoing in the small apartment.

A quick look at the nearby digital clock confirmed the assumed time that had passed as your head pounded mildly again with the revenge of the headache.

With a fortifying swallow of spit, you looked downward to where you felt your legs had been lifted and we're currently playing table for a laptop.

_Shit._

You leaned your head back onto the futon arm for a moment, mind racing.

“I needed space,” You said quietly after a while. Listening as the typing halted for a moment before continuing.

“By the way,” You added after a moment. “Did I tell you who took your coat?”

Kaiba turned his head your direction, eyes narrowed in a way you could tell that he was still annoyed with you. “You failed to mention.”

You shrugged at him, “It was Azuma and Hada, I assume they wanted to keep your coat for some sort of…treasure.”

“And you just…took it from them.” Kaiba stated carefully as if trying to process. It really was a little funny when he acted a little bit like a machine, albeit in the way he tended to absorb information that _wasn't_ mere numbers and cold hard facts. More the little things. If one could call your valiant attempt to save the rest of Domino High from a rampaging Kaiba a "little thing". 

You hummed, “More like I caused an argument, took your pelt and ran for it. Those two are experienced fighters, I’m not _that_ stupid.”

“Obviously,” was the testy reply, before making a tilt to your head. “But clearly you underestimate your capacity for idiocy.”

You could have been annoyed, in fact, you were, but that was more towards the fact of your growing headache rather than Kaiba belittling you. Sitting next to the man for a long time, you had quickly discovered that the man insulted everyone. Thus, you had grown a bit of a resistance towards any deliberately pointed insult. It was the implicated ones that tended to sting more.

At the very least, the lack of any sort of…dare you say it- _flirting_ was good. You had honestly been dreading the potential of it since you found out about the whole…thing. Kaiba still being Kaiba, at least in attitude, was an honest to fuck gift that you weren’t quite expecting.

Instead, you shrugged at him, much to his surprise if you were reading the slight flatness of expression right. “I wish I could have blamed it on clumsiness, but it’s not. So I’m not going to.”

“...Then what was it.”

You lifted your head up again to raise an eyebrow at him, “..what was what?”

He rolled his eyes, an oddly childish motion that still had an air of sophistication. Probably because of the person who did it. “What happened.”

“Uh well,” You cleared your throat for a moment. “I…”

He actually leveled you a look that you could _feel_ , not like the other times where you had the instinct to look but more like you could feel the oppressive presence of a look that indicated just how frustrated he was with you at the moment.

“Okay so I was pushed into the cement by some overzealous fangirls that was hard enough to actually tear the surface epidermis,” You breathed. “Happy?”

There was a moment of tense silence as Kaiba’s eyes flashed again, a vicious growl tearing through the room.

“I’m going to _rip_ them to _pieces.”_

“Woah woah,” You sat up quickly, wincing as the headache worsened before you grappled onto the sleeve of his coat. “It’s no big deal. Just a weak concussion, I’m _fine_.”

“Just. A. _Concussion?”_ If Kaiba was the type of person to shrill, he probably would have. Instead all you got was a menacing growl that would have hurt anyone’s throat if they weren’t a fucking _selkie._

“Yeah- just a mild headache, there was no real damage done calm your ass down- _shit,_ ” You gripped the coat tighter, but you damn well knew that the only thing stopping from treading across the threshold of the door was the possibility that you would have been thrown off and with your luck, right into the corner of the table head first. Sometimes taking advantage of the currently very protective instincts that were starting to rear up again for the first time in a week was worth it. “Calm. _Down_.”

 _What the-?_ You thought to yourself- it seemed like the word _echoed_ for a moment before it settled. _The hell?_

Irritably, he shut the laptop closed with a _snap_ so loud you had to restrain your wince at the sound. Leaving you at a loss as he shoved it towards the coffee table and got a grip on the hand that was still hanging onto his coat.

With a surprised yelp, you found your knees folding as your ass sat on top of his lap. Your body twisted so that your legs were circling his waist while his hands held your head firmly. Tilting it down so as to get a look at the bandages.

“...These are well done.”

 _He said reluctantly_ , you mentally added. “Thanks I guess.”

“Disorientation?”

“A little, not a whole lot since I didn’t seemed fazed by your little moment there.”

“Headache.”

“A small one now, it was a lot worse two hours ago.”

“Ringing?”

“Stopped.”

“Name. Birthday. December to January. Say it.”

You stated as such, going through the months more easily than you had earlier.

He grunted in what you interpreted as satisfaction, hands sliding down to your sides. Not doing anything but just...being there. A weirdly grounding presence.

It was also hella suffocating.

“You need to change it,” Kaiba murmured under his breath. Alarmingly soft. The sound itself was enough to make you scramble out of the man’s lap before he could notice your face growing warmer.

“I’ll go do that then!” You hoped the wince you made after the little declaration wasn’t too obvious as you scrambled back to where you had left out some of the gauze and tape from yesterday.

Though you didn’t look, you had a good feeling that Kaiba was rolling his eyes. That instinct unfortunately did not save you from banging your knee on the cupboard under the counter when you felt a firm stomach ( _notabsnotabsnotabs_ was the mantra you were repeating) press against your back.

“What...are...you um, doing?” You squeaked.

You froze when Kaiba’s breath hit the back of your head, allowing him to take the gauze and the bandage from you as he took it in one hand. The other holding your arm in a firm grip, no doubt to make sure you wouldn’t go accidentally killing yourself. Or giving yourself more bruises. It was a toss-up of which one really.

“I can _smell_ that you’re not capable of doing this without accidentally killing yourself,” the pinched expression showed up. “And I have a difficulty in denying the instinct to protect you when it’s so apparent that you have no self-preservation whatsoever.”

You snorted, trying to turn so you could get the man off of your back in a more literal sense, “Why does that even matter?”

Ah, the _you are an absolute imbecile_ look, you hadn’t seen it in a while, “As much as I loathe the situation you put us in, I rather you not die before I can get rid of it.”

Harsh. Very harsh and chest throbby, but very much fair. So you shrugged, trying to pass off the sudden urge to lock yourself in a room alone as you carefully took two measured steps away from him.

“Yeah, would be pretty bad if someone accused you of murder or something,” You added weakly.

You couldn’t even restrain the wince as you watched Kaiba’s nose flare and his expression pinch suddenly, in a way that you had come to interpret as _I did a wrong thing_. Well, probably more like _I hurt this human’s feelings whoops._

“...and…” Kaiba continued, hands twitching for a moment like he was about to reach out for you before restraining himself. “You are the only person in school that I happen to tolerate sitting next to me.”

Not being able to help yourself, you snorted, “You don’t have to make me feel better Kaiba, neither of us wanted to be put into this position in the first place.”

 _Not like this, never like this_.

Reaching out, you snatched the gauze and tape from his hands, “You should go home. I’ll stay here for a day more and I’ll go back to your mansion tomorrow after school. I’ll be fine, I’ve managed by myself for half a decade, I can handle a day more.”

Using the uncomfortable situation to your advantage, you were careful to grab the black turtleneck under his coat as you pulled him to the front door, pushing him successfully out. His own legs moving on automatic as his normally battle strategic mind tried to bounce back, something you knew would be slower than it would have been usually considering this had more to do with emotions than it had getting your opponent’s life points to zero.

“And stop smelling my emotions,” you muttered under your breath, closing the door on him. Fully aware that he, and only he, could hear you.

You went to your room and locked the door with the medical supply in hand before you sat on the bed and fully allowed yourself to breakdown.

 _Really,_ you thought to yourself through the tears of frustration sliding down your face, much to your annoyance. _I’m being stupid. I shouldn’t have thought he would suddenly start caring._

Outside, Kaiba resisted the urge to break down the door as the sour smell of misery and salt invaded his senses. The only reason he was able to do so lying in the fact that he was fully aware that _he_ was the cause. _Again,_ he admitted quietly and disdainfully.

He fist sharply banged against the railing outside your home with a clank, the metal giving slightly under barely restrained strength.

_“I **don’t** care.”_

Now he just needed to make himself believe it.

-

“This is stupid,” You said to particularly no one inside the room, old bandages disposed of to the rubbish bin. “I’m being stupid.”

You stood up, the newly downed ibuprofen taking care of the headache, “He has no obligation to consider my feelings, _I’m_ the reason why we’re in this mess anyway-”

Your expression turned into a scowl, “But- I was trying to be _nice_ to that fucker- _ugh_.”

Your hands smacked themselves on your face as your exasperation overflowed its usual amount. With a spin, you turned onto the small blue-eyes figure tucked behind a lamp one of your parents had grabbed as a gift, “And it’s not as if I _knew_ he was a fucking selkie.”

The Blue Eyes stated nothing, clearly it was too busy roaring at an invisible enemy into submission.

“ _Ga,”_ You grunted, throwing yourself on top of your bed. “This is frustrating. I am frustrated. Beyond frustrated. I am _pissed._ ”

“I’m gonna go out,” You said finally, sitting up with a swing of your legs. “I’m gonna go out- have a coffee. Potentially get lost- but I’m gonna go out.”

Was it a bad idea? Probably. Were you going to do it anyway? Absolutely.

-

The city was as busy as ever, much to your relief, as you walked past several people through the passing crowds. Tourists, business people, young adults; everyone from all walks of life came out to the city to enjoy lights and make their way back to where they were to sleep at night.

This, at least, was normal.

Going out wasn’t normally the way you’d spend your free time, but today was the exception as you finally made your way to your favorite hub of activity. Sitting on one of the vacant seats outside with a cup of warm liquid in your hands from the café inside the building.

Then a person sat into the seat next to you.

Bewildered, all you could do was mutter a confused greeting at the stranger as they sat across from you.

“I’m sorry,” Said the lady in a weird dress that was stupidly attractive. Like- Kaiba levels of good looks type of attractive. It was seriously unfair. “Is this seat taken?”

“...uh, no,” You said awkwardly. “You…waiting for someone?”

“Oh no, just resting,” She gave you a wide smile that was seriously unnerving and was stirring _feelings._ Which really shouldn’t be happening until the _twentieth_ run-in at least. That’s how it was with Kaiba anyway, and he was pretty much your benchmark for these things. You could only look at that mug so many times before you finally started having feelings for it- so really this lady should’ve had the decency to follow the same process.

Or maybe you were going insane. Who knew at this point.

“So,” She added, a curled lip on her expression. “Come here often?”

You decided to play oblivious to literally the oldest flirt in the history of 21st century flirtation, “Not lately.”

“Same,” She said with a dramatic sigh. “I’ve just been so busy and all. But I guess, you students also have it rough hm? What with upcoming exams and figuring out your life.”

“Everyone goes through the process,” You responded easily enough with a shrug.

She held out a stupidly delicate hand, pristine and cultured like as if she never had to work her hands for anything. “Carmilla. Pleasure.”

“Um,” You shook it while muttering your own name. “Nice to meet you.”

You glanced at the shop windows.

And did a double-take.

And another.

You sat back, kicking your legs from in your chair as the legs made a grating shriek in an alarmed attempt to get away from ‘Carmilla’ “What the-”

“Oh?” She leaned forward, “Something wrong?”

You narrowed your eyes before pointing a finger, close to you just in case, “You stay back.”

She held out her hands in surrender before she leaned back, eyes flashing bright crimson, “So touchy.”

“So you _are_ a creature of the night,” You guessed with a groan.

“Got it one,” She with a smirk before tipping her head in inquiry. “What gave me away? And don’t say the glass over there, you were on edge since I first sat down.”

“I had feelings.”

“You…” she said it carefully with an intrigued expression. “Had ‘feelings’.”

You nodded solemnly, “I don’t _get_ feelings. Not _that_ quickly, and I’m good at squashing them down when I need to. Yours just- _showed up_.”

“An emotionally repressed teenager,” Carmilla said, raven black hair tossing back as she laughed. “With some unbelievable self-control. Damn.”

“You could tell I was on edge,” You pointed out.

“You wanted me too,” She replied, referring to your chest area. “Your heart was calm, I wouldn’t have been able to tell if you masked your body language. You have a weird response to predators for a human.”

You shrugged.

“Then again,” She took a sip from what you were now definitely doubting was coffee. “You _are_ betrothed to a selkie. That could do it.”

You blinked, “How did _you_ know that?”

“It’s an aura we of...abnormal nature can sense,” She smiled again- which was seriously starting to piss you off. “That’s why I was so interested, there hasn’t been a selkie betrothed human in centuries. Not as young as you are anyway.”

“And that’s relevant to me _how_?”

“For one, the blood of betrotheds are _delicious_ ,” Carmilla replied with a smirk that was more menacing than the playful it was intended to be. “You have a certain salty tang no one could replicate. Especially one so... _young_.”

“You’re not going to gut me and bleed me to restore your youth are you?” Your expression was grim. “Because your name is implying otherwise.”

“No no, I have _witch_ friends now. I don’t need to do anything that barbaric anymore,” She waved a hand. “But having you around as a _drink_ now _that’s_ something I would _want_.”

That smile was getting more irritating by the second, not that you could probably do anything against a _vampire_ but really that tone of voice was just asking for a garlic spray or something, “No.”

“Thought so,” She said with a shrug. “Second is the fact of _who_ you are betrothed to.”

You hadn’t even tried to hide the surprise on your face, “You can tell?”

“Well there’s only one selkie in Japan honey,” She had this weird smile on her face. “And he’s also one of the most eligible bachelor the world too. Funny how you managed to snag that pelt of his, he’s so attached to it.”

You shook your head, “I took it back from some thieves and returned it. That was _it._ What happened after was an accident.”

“Say what you want,” She reached out before you could react, black nail-polish hands gripping onto your cheeks as she slowly pulled you closer inch by agonizing inch until her lips could reach the shell of your ear. Your brain was barely processing the fact that she had managed to stand and lean over to your seat in about half a second flat. “That doesn’t make you any less of a...tempting target.”

You swallowed noisily as concern began to build up, your breathing steading for some reason, your mind sharper than it ever was even when you were taking an exam, “Why’s that?”

She chuckled, leaning down. Slightly sliding the tip of what you assumed were her fangs on exposed skin before she let go of her grip, allowing you to scramble back even further as soon as possible.

“Dunno,” Carmilla continued, shrugging. “Something about you is just...irresistible. And it’s got nothing to do with the fact that Kaiba’s also one of the last of a very...powerful selkie pod.”

“I don’t suppose you could possibly give me a source where I can find out what the hell that is are you?” You muttered under your breath. Your life was slowly turning into a television show, you could feel it. A badly written, going to be way too long, television show.

“Na, but there is a guy who could help you out I suppose.” She gave you a wiry grin. “He’s human like you, so don’t worry. He almost killed me after all.”

You rolled your eyes, “Who is he? Van Helsing?”

“No,” She said, sliding you a piece of paper. “Stilinski.”

You blinked as she suddenly showed up behind you, sliding a hand across your waist.

“You should start being more careful hun, not every creature of the night is as nice as me.”

You didn’t both to turn around, you knew she would be gone by then.

“Well shit,” You muttered as you took a sip of your drink, now cold.

-

“What the fuck” You said later as you stared into the surprisingly quick reply from some American kid by the name of Stiles (you doubted it was his real name but _whatever_ ) Stilinski. Seriously. A _kid._ In _high school_. And holy _shit_ his facebook was _so weird._ And he _totally_ had a thing for this Derek guy, he had the look in all the pictures. You knew that look. You _have_ that look. In all honesty, you would have thought that talking to him would be bullshit and totally a trap to give you a false sense of security but you checked the Beacon Hills newspapers, things were really freaky. Not to mention that this kid’s IP address and stories about his Dad were pretty solid down to the health conditions.

So you knew your way around a computer- the art of googling was something that you have _mastered._

“Werewolves fucking _exist?!”_

You groaned, slapping your head into the table in front of you for a minute as you were just _done._ With _everything_.

Your phone buzzed.

With a grunt, you slapped your hand on the table a few times before you managed to land on top of your phone, pulling your head up enough so you could read the text.

Your mom.

You sighed and sent off a denial response before slapping down your phone again. You didn’t need the family drama on top of teenage angst and supernatural issues that decided to show up on your lap.

Why couldn’t you be a normal teenager for once?

At the sound of a ding from your laptop, you opened it to find a reply email from the Stilinski kid again. This time with a document that was probably this bestiary he was talking about earlier.

_Here’s a link to the bestiary me and my friends made, hope you find the answers you’re looking for dude. I’ll ask Argent later after school about any prominent selkie families for you._

You typed out a quick reply of _thanks I appreciate it_ before sending it off, clicking on the link and doubling down at the edge of your bed. Getting ready for research and back pain.

“Shitting fuck,” You muttered as you read down the helpful table of contents. “There are _chimeras?_ ”

-

School the following day after the whole research binge was...practically nonexistent because you didn’t even bother to pay attention to _anything_. In fact, the only relief had been the fact that your cut scabbed over so you didn’t need to keep the gauze on and can now fully ignore the headache into oblivion.

“Uh- are you okay?”

You blinked as you stared at Yugi in front of you.

“It’s just that- ever since you and Kaiba started dating you’ve been kind of...tired. More tired than usual.”

You blinked again before shaking your head, not even bothering to think about the fact that Yugi, and probably the entire _school_ thought you and Kaiba were dating. Which wasn’t wrong- just not exactly right either, “No no. Just...research. A lot of research. For a personal project.”

You could feel Kaiba’s eyes narrowing at you. Which really shouldn’t have been possible but apparently this era of your life was full of _impossible_. It was kind of ridiculous how you weren’t even really that surprised, just exasperated.

At that Yugi nodded, a bit hesitant, but proceeded to leave the classroom with his friends. Most likely to go and hang out considering it was already the end of the day. You would not have noticed in all honesty, too tired to care but with just enough energy to go through the daily motions.

It was after he walked far enough from the door that you allowed yourself to smack your face into the table.

“You realize how unsanitary that is,” Kaiba stated dryly as he stood from his desk, probably to leave as well considering. Yet also much to your surprise. Kaiba was usually the first man out, granted he usually dragged you with him when he was leaving early for work, but he also left everyone else in the dust when he stayed throughout the regular school hours. You figured he just expected you to follow after a while so that was what you did, normally. Today was not a normal day.

“Don’t care,” You said. Or rather, stated into the fake wood of your desk. You tilted your head so your voice would come out clearer. “You didn’t tell me that this whole giving you your coat back thing would mean attracting _blood suckers_ Kaiba.”

The selkie had the gall to tilt his head at you with an underlying sense of mirth that you could just _tell_ was there even if his expression was the very definition of deadpan, “You’re spouting nonsense again.”

You tilted your head to face him fully, “I was approached by a fucking _vampire_ Kaiba.”

“A vampire-” He growled. “Who was it?”

“Easy on the growly buddy,” You flicked him on his nose. Because you were tired and wishing for death at that exact moment. Nevertheless, it worked as the growling lessened. “She just warned me about attracting attention since I’m ‘ _betrothed to one of the most famous selkie pods’_ or whatever. So I did some research. Did you know your territory is the _entire_ sea of Japan and parts of the _Pacific Ocean_?”

He rolled his eyes, “Of course I do- how did _you_ find out about it?”

You shrugged at his accusing tone, “I can do a lot with the internet Seto. Really, you should have expected that when I found some dirt on that one asshole’s instagram like- last week.”

You didn’t expect his silence though, so you stared at him as he stared at you. “What?”

“...”

“I mean- I just got someone to send me a bestiary it’s no big deal. I could show you if you want?”

“You called me Seto.”

You blinked.

And blinked.

And promptly felt yourself getting twenty degrees warmer.

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t just-” Kaiba shook his head, the motion making him look oddly...sheepish. “Let’s go. Mokuba’s coming out of school in a few minutes.”

“Oh…okay,” You finished lamely.

He didn’t say anything, just grabbed your arm and tugged you along.

For both of your sakes, you didn’t talk about how you could see the red creeping up his neck as you left the building.

-

From henceforth, you didn’t really leave the Kaiba mansion.

Granted- the Kaiba mansion had originally made it very hard not to want to just stay in all day. The entire house was fit with a state of the art air conditioning and heater unit, the place itself was _huge._ It was really no surprise that the entire _Casa de La Kaiba_ was basically all you could ever want in a castle, down to the game room.

The thing was, while Kaiba never made it mandatory that you had to stay where he was- he also didn’t say otherwise. In fact, there was a time when you were hanging out in the Kaiba library (which you found, much to your amusement, was filled with game guides and the odd fantasy book) when Kaiba came in with his laptop without explanation. Sitting in front of you as you blinked at him before returning to your book.

The same could be said about the kitchen. Having successfully navigated the beast of a home, you quickly found that the kitchen was always stocked to the nines. Which meant that you also often went there when you were hungry and whipped up an easy sandwich. Anything less kind of made the maids and cooks there feel guilty. Which made _you_ feel guilty and was just a bad time altogether.

Then he would just show up, tell the cooks to make a meal. And sit down. Right in front of you.

You were starting to wonder about if there was some sort of invisible proximity thing that you weren’t being told about because neither he nor the bestiary had explained _anything_ about selkie courting. It was just- _“the average selkie depends on what region of species the selkie’s seal from **blah blah blah”**_ and how to kill a selkie and how to best use their coat for ingredients and spells and just _no._

You may or may not have gotten a little sick looking at the descriptions and drawings that were _very_ detailed. You were also _very_ tempted to scribble _all over that shit,_ which was a little hard considering it was essentially a pdf file.

You made a side note to add it in the bestiary- you felt that it was important.

You scrolled down with a flick of your finger, eyes going left and right on the screen as you read line after line of text and description. Your nose scrunching at some of the lines of _how to kill_ etc, etc.

And then the feeling came back.

The itching feeling that pissed you off to no end because the itching feeling would only go away if you _went outside._ Which was a big _no_ after running into _Carmilla_ the vampire queen who had been known to _bleed_ her victims to restore her youth. It didn’t exactly take a historian to find that out- you had found it out watching old _Hellboy_ cartoons. Plus Fate Grand Order- and some other franchises.

And then you had an epiphany.

You wanted to go outside- but you didn’t have to go _outside_ outside. Kaiba’s backyard was freaking _huge-_ and that was saying something considering that this was _Japan._

You pushed back from the bar, snapping your laptop shut and tucking it under your arm. Scrambling out to the backyard where the huge patio sat. Green grass and brightly bloomed flowers cascading across the lawn.

And a fox- smack dab in the middle.

You stared at it incredulously, “You’re not a kitsune are you?”

The fox reeled its head back, as if surprised.

You groaned. One of your hands lifting to pinch your nose between your thumb and forefinger.

“You are _seriously_ lacking in self-preservation- you _know_ this is a territory you dumb fox what the hell.” You grumbled under your breath, breaking away from your physical exasperation to stare down the fox in what you hoped was a good reinterpretation of The Kaiba Glare. Staring down at the thing with all the resentment you could muster. _“Out.”_

The fox jolted out its surprise and trampled off away, exiting and jumping over the hedge which was _3 meters tall._

 **Real** subtle. Clearly.

 _2 meters_ was the average _minimum_ for fox repelling fences. The things you find out through google was a wonderful source of plentiful information. Especially when you’ve got a supernatural _guide book_ to go off of.

“If I find a kappa in the pond I swear,” You grumbled, walking over to a nearby lawn chair and crashing yourself on it. Opening your laptop back on to continuing scowling down the list of various supernatural creatures.

-

You had been keeping watch of the time, and _exactly_ after half an hour- Kaiba came out. His own laptop under his arm while clad in a white t-shirt (which was seriously unfair but you weren’t going to tell the man what to wear) and some sort of silk bottom. Taking the seat right next to you.

You double-checked the time, a self-satisfied nod bobbing out of you without really thinking about it as you added to your selkie notes.

“Thirty minutes- got it,” You muttered under your breath.

When you looked to your side, Kaiba just rose an eyebrow. Clearly expecting an answer that is totally valid and worth his time.

 _Sheesh,_ high expectations right there.

“If I leave the room- it’s usually thirty minutes before you follow me right after,” You explained. “It’s been happening for a while so I decided to track how long after the third instance.”

“...I follow you around the house?” While you knew it was clearly a question- his expression indicated that he hadn’t been totally aware of it either.

“Uhuh,” You said, throwing in a nod for added emphasis. “It seems the area doesn’t matter either. I left your office to take a shower and then when I came out- you were on the bed. One’s an accident. Two’s a coincidence. Three’s a pattern. Four is just something up right there.” You turned back to the laptop. “Something I found out from this Stilinski kid.”

“I’ve heard his name in passing,” Kaiba admitted. “He defeated a nogitsune that was playing parasite.”

You paused mid-type, turning over to squint at him, “Aren’t those like- seriously dangerous?”

“They are,” Kaiba acknowledged. “I would have to put effort if I wanted to get rid of one in my territory.”

“Uh _damn,”_ You muttered. “I mean- I figured this guy was pretty something. Running around with a wolf pack for so long- but _damn_.” Then you eyed him again. “Sorry- but ‘ _put effort_ ’?”

“Nogitsunes are old but they’re hardly at my level of power,” He rolled his eyes. “There are reasons why the kitsune clans in Domino and Tokyo have a sworn oath to me.”

“You...you realize you’re a _seal_ right?”

“Clearly your research isn’t as fulfilling as it should be.” Kaiba looked smug as he lifted up the cup of coffee to his lips from literally _no-where._ “As expected. Selkies have learned to be secretive.”

“Well if _my_ skin gets taken by some asshole fisherman I’d be pissed sure,” You muttered- flinching as you realized what you said. “Sorry about that by the way.”

He rolled his eyes at you, “Enough. Get it in your head that it’s already been done, there’s nothing to do but get it over with.”

“Says _you_ ,” You grumbled. _You weren’t the one who accidentally forced your crush of four years into some fucked up relationship._ You shook your head before your brain could delve any deeper into _that_ bag of worms. “My mom texted.”

His eyes lifted, prompting your next line.

“She wants to meet up. Catch up and stuff. And my Dad too- on the same damn day,” You sighed. “Parents are a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“When are you meeting them.”

You snorted, “I’m not.”

“You...aren’t?” Kaiba seemed vaguely confused, and you couldn’t blame him. Your relationship wasn’t exactly all sunshine, rainbows, and hallmark- but by all means, you were an outlier. A statistic who should have been in the minority rather than the majority, especially with how fucked to hell and back the whole thing was.

“They’re divorced,” You explained. “And they constantly use _me_ as a way to get at each other’s throats. Separate- it’s fine. _Together_ it’s like a live grenade with the damn thing floating a foot off the ground on a single string of spiders web. And they’re _both_ armed with scissors threatening the other that they’re gonna snip it.”

You closed your eyes, leaning back on the lawn chair and letting your back pop back into place with the stiff surface, “Sometimes. When it gets _a lot._ I wanna grab them by their heads and smack them together. _Hard._ ”

Then you peeked at him from the corner of your eye, “Why am I telling you this again?”

“...” Kaiba seemed to be in deep contemplation. Before, “are you…”

“A child of wedlock?” You answered for him, before shaking your head. “Na- they were married. Then they had me, and then things went to shit. I really don’t know- but it’s hard to think of them as anything other- I dunno. People who were just- _there_. As far as I remember it was just a lot of yelling and arguing and tugging after my attention like I’m some sort of toy. Hell- the only reason why I’m not as fucked up as I should have been was because I had an awesome nanny.”

Quietly you added, “I really don’t know what was wrong with me that their relationship went to shit. Sure they weren’t in love but they were friends.”

“Don’t be so childish. There’s nothing wrong with you,” he scoffed. Deciding not to ask about the implications of the latter. “Your parents were clearly incompatible and unsuitable for any sort of mature relationship, even if they had been friends prior.”

“I guess,” You couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread throughout your chest from that small bit of comfort Kaiba decided to drop you. “Thanks.”

He didn’t answer, focusing on his laptop instead. But he had given you a small nod in return.

-

You didn’t sleep in Kaiba’s room, but on a room nearby that would easily be accessed if he so wished. Tonight however, there was a feeling crawling up your spine that told you something wasn’t right tonight.

You quietly stepped into Kaiba’s room, looking over the room to find Kaiba curled slightly in his bed. Eyes taking in the large room before landing and watching Kaiba turn uncomfortably where he laid across the bed. Twisting in his body like he was trying to get away from something. Shifting your gaze, your eyes focused on coat, glowing subtly in the moonlight.

So nothing was wrong there-

“Leave Mokuba out of this-” Came the feral growl.

_Ah._

You tiptoed as best you could over near where Kaiba was on the edge of his bed, leaning your weight at the unoccupied space and slowly scooting in. Placing a cautious had on his shoulder.

And _tugged._

Kaiba woke up with a jolt, grabbing onto the arm you had on him and flipping over you.

He huffed, a rough bark-like sound that vaguely sounded like a seal. His eyes glowing and nose flaring as he was rapidly assessing the situation. Slowly, he came back to himself as he seemed to register who you were, but not enough to come back all the way by himself.

“Nightmare,” You said simply in explanation. Calm and trying not drawing attention to the fact that the arm he had in his hand was starting to feel numb and in pain. You looked him in the eye. Evenly and without fear. “You are in your mansion Seto. Mokuba is asleep in the other room two doors to the right of here. Gozoboro is dead twice over and Kaiba Corp is under your control.”

You restrained the flinch as his hand gripped tighter and far more painfully, so more firmly, you stated again. Staring into him with as much determination as you could muster, your heart beating more calmly than it ever has in such proximity to him, “ ** _Seto_.**”

You frowned at yourself, the single utterance of his named felt…more somehow. Like you had done more than just throw your determination into the mix.

Whatever the case, it seemed to do the trick as his grip suddenly relaxed, his eyes blinking back to normal blue as he looked down and immediately rolled off.

You hummed and rubbed your arm, it was going to bruise, but it was okay. The important thing was that you were able to talk him down. Nightmares were rough for everyone, even if they were supernatural seals.

“You better now?” You asked him quietly, not looking at him but listening intently to his breathing. Deliberately even. “Do you want me to stay?”

He nodded.

“Okay.”

You didn’t say anything when he curled up behind you, an arm wrapping around your middle and pulling until your back was flush with his front.

Nightmares, you knew personally, _sucked ass_.

So you would let this go, just this once.

-

For once, you had woken up earlier than he had. Quietly padding down to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee and a quick bite for both you and Kaiba before quickly padding back upstairs. Setting both items down on his table counter while he slept.

Then you quietly padded back to your side, digging the cold pack from your pocket and pressing it against the hand shaped bruise. Using the unoccupied hand to scroll through your phone to amuse yourself for a while.

You watched the clock tick to eight and sent a text to Roland that you and Kaiba weren’t going to go to school today. Keeping an ear out for the tall-tale change in breathing pattern to let you know Kaiba was waking up.

-

It took about another hour for Kaiba to wake up, groggily blinking from his place in bed before he turned to you, amusing yourself on your phone with some sort of document before you turned to him.

“Better?”

He nodded.

Kaiba watched idly as you turned back to your phone, scrolling idly through whatever you decided to read as Kaiba mentally woke himself up more. Turning to the table to stare at the steaming cup of coffee.

“It got cold so I quickly popped down to the kitchen to get a fresher one,” You explained. Making a face. “I don’t know how you can stand black coffee. It _sucks_.”

“You suck,” He replied defensively, drinking from the cup before scowling. “I’m getting infected by your adolescent vocabulary.”

“Four years late on that dude,” You replied, a smile curling on your lip before continuing to munch on what looked like-

“Is that a _poptart_?”

“Yep.”

He frowned, “We have _poptarts_?”

“Yeep.”

“Since _when_?” He growled. “I banned those things years ago. The caloric intake is too high and there is too much sugar in that to be a breakfast food.”

“I will not reveal my secrets,” You replied evenly, taking another bite from what is apparently deemed contraband in _Casa de la Kaiba_. “And shut up, I made you breakfast.”

He stared at the simple half baguette sitting on a plate, he could scent the garlic and bacon coming off of the thing.

“I wasn’t aware you had the capacity to cook,” He grumbled, reaching out to grab the thing and eat it.

“Couldn’t eat pre-cooked meals all the time,” You replied, this time breaking out into a full grin. “My wifi is the greatest house expense I will ever spend.”

There was a companionable silence for the next few minutes. The both of you simply eating and taking the occasional sip of whatever drink was around. Water for you, coffee for Kaiba.

“How did you know?”

You turned that question over your head, there was a lot that it could mean, “You’re gonna have to specify that.”

“That Gozoboro died twice,” Then he paused, finishing the bread. “And that there was something wrong last night.”

“To get the first question out of the way,” You carefully aimed the wrapper of your poptart, chucking it and landing on the bin. “I saw it. Gozaburo- you guys, Yugi. Noah. I was there. Frankly speaking, I was there taking a side job to test out the virtual reality- but I was at Kaiba Corp. Turns out I was a backup ploy so that one of the boards could possibly get out.”

“Second question,” You continued after a moment. “I felt like something was wrong- like there was something that was happening at the corner of my mind and it was unsettling. It’s hard to describe, but when I went to check on you- it looked like you were having a shitty nightmare so I acted.”

He turned at you with a mildly interested expression, face blank but clearly he was wondering about _something,_ “The rules at the time demanded that anyone who lost a duel would have their consciousness transferred. You don’t duel, so how did you avoid it?”

“They never asked me to have a duel master or whatever,” You added. “As far as I knew- I was just _there._ I didn’t know there was some sort of mandatory rule thing. I don’t know why I was different- but I was. So I just watched. It was kind of like being in free mode on Minecraft. I could go anywhere I wanted by imagining myself being flung over there- but no one could see me. Then I came back to myself when you guys crashed it.”

“That’s…”

“Really fucking weird?”

Kaiba gave you a look, “It should be investigated.”

You shrugged, “I don’t mind- it’s just one of the multiple instances.”

“Define _multiple_.”

“Duelist kingdom, the whole digital universe thing, _Atlantis,_ that one time in freaking _Egypt_ ,” You frowned at that one. “I have no idea how I got into that tomb anyway, it was supposed to be a vacation with my Dad. I got lost.”

Kaiba seemed to look contemplative at this, “I would have sensed you.”

You shrugged, “I hid behind a pillar? I don’t know, I didn’t say anything at the time because it sounded like the whole thing was very...emotional. And none of my business. I left before Yugi won the duel.”

“...”

You shrugged at him again, “It’s the Baader-Meinhof principle.”

“I doubt that we have interacted _that_ much to warrant the Baader-Meinhof principle.”

“Interacted? No. But I have seen you running around with the motley crew.” You frowned. “Granted usually I’m trying very hard not to scream.”

“Is that so?”

You smacked him for that sly smirk, “Not like that asshole. You try seeing a giant ass demon looking thing and not reacting like- never mind. You’re a fucking predator seal, normal doesn’t apply.”

Kaiba made an acknowledging hum that you interpreted as _“You know that’s right_.” Even though he probably wouldn’t use those words. In fact- he would probably would scoff at the fact that you were using such words in the first place. The snooty prick.

Still, the odd peace between the two of you was refreshing. You could grow to fond of it.

Of course the instant you thought this was the very same instance that things started to go to shit really quickly.

Because life turns out to be a vindictive _asshole._

-

It started out as an average day, given the circumstance.

At the moment, you were at your own home. Doing cleaning and taking out crash while Kaiba was sitting in your room’s desk doing work. You actually _demanded_ he stay there because otherwise you were going to be too worked up to get _any_ cleaning done in the kitchen and living room. So he was going to stay there like a good asshole pseudo fiancé that was quickly going to ditch soon.

Which was unnerving, Kaiba would note. You often asked him things, but never demanded them. Something in you was starting to show itself and he wasn’t sure _what_ exactly it was nor how dangerous it was.

But for you, as long as you kept in mind that Kaiba was going away, as long as you knew that such a thing was going to _end,_ it wasn’t panic educing. Just okay-ly uncomfortable. It was something you can handle, something you could _grasp_ with both hands.

Your head was swimming, not quite like syrup but you felt like you were looking at things from underwater. There was a haze over your mind, it was never this bad- but the past few days, the fog seemed to get thicker and thicker with each passing day the courtship went on. You thought it was something to do with the Courting, a psychological reaction to it that was delayed maybe- even if it was subconscious. But your body felt oddly sluggish, like there was a weight that made everything seem…slower.

So there you were, cleaning and minding your business as you routinely wiped down the place for dead skin cells and replaced your pre-sorted trash before you realized something.

“Hey,” You turned around at the waist, looking at him from where you were posted. “What does it _specifically_ say about how the Courting process works?”

Kaiba looked up with the clear intent to shoot you down before you even threw your idea out there but there was a look in your eye that spoke of an intensity he wasn’t quite sure what to do with.

But he might as well.

“A human who returns a selkie’s coat is subjugated to the courting ritual of the Selkie. The Selkie will then attempt to woo the returner of the coat until such a time mating has occurred,” Kaiba’s words were distanced, specifically impersonal. “Until then the Selkie will do anything and everything within their resource in an attempt to seduce the individual who returned it, at the end of the moon’s cycle the Selkie return’s their coat to the human in which they may do what they wish with it. If they keep it, mating will occur. If they return it- the selkie and the human go their separate ways.”

You hummed, “What states that it has to be the moon’s cycle?”

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, “The tide, the next full moon makes it harder to ignore the lull. Instincts are at its peak and if the coat is returned, the pride of a selkie will revolt against the action- returning to the sea is an instinctive protective measure. Something about the magical bond established by the return of the Coat being destroyed, snapping.”

“And if it’s before?”

“Useless, the instincts aren’t heightened enough to elicit a real response.” Kaiba paused. “Theoretically, it is due to the fact that the bond isn’t tangible enough for both parties to be able to view it in order to destroy it.” 

You paused for a moment before you nodded- turning away.

A dangerous but plausible idea forming in your mind.

Kaiba wasn’t sure what was going to happen- but he was certain it wasn’t going to be anything at all pleasant.

-

Another few days had passed after you grilled Kaiba the actual courting rules of the contract- there were only a few more days before you could reject the courting, but it was days too many. You wanted out.

“Hoh? I didn’t think I’d see you here again.” Carmilla purred, a sensual smile on her face. “What brings you here?”

“I have a theory I want to test,” You muttered, sitting down with reckless abandon. You weren’t sure what changed but there was almost a turning point somewhere in between the tug and pull you were going through with Kaiba. Logically- you didn’t want anything to do with the courting. It as heinous and not at all what you wanted from him, much less anyone else. It was practically an arranged marriage without the pretense nor excuse of parental authority, it was worse than your own parent’s marriage- which had been for the benefit of the two families rather than each other.

Your parents were friends but not close ones, rivals was the more accurate term for the two of them and they never quite grew out of it. It only got worse when they were forced to wed, with _you_ ending up their latest competitive goal.

But you were their child, both of them, not a trophy.

It was the main reason why you abhorred the idea that arranged marriages were a good thing, in _any way._ To each’s own you supposed, but for you? Hell would turn into the surface of Pluto before you allowed yourself to be arranged to you or you to anyone else.

Between going through with it and kicking the bucket, you’d choose to drop.

So this was a reckless move on your part- it wasn’t anything you thought you were capable of doing- at _all._ But there was something nagging in the back of your head that said _why not? Why not_ go through with it? At worst, you got killed- at best, the engagement breaks and Kaiba was no longer obligated to you. You didn’t even know why your grandparents arranged for your parents to marry in the first place, you didn’t want to talk about it- didn’t want to know about it.

It was a mistake, not to know, to close yourself off to your family history, your legacy, but that wasn’t your first concern. It would never be.  
“Bite me.”

Carmilla paused, red eyes flashing as they widened- “Excuse me?”

“Bite. Me.” You felt your stomach churn- your heartbeat just a tad slower- everything seemed to be in slow motion. “I need you to bite me.”

Her eyes narrowed in seriousness, “Do you understand what you are asking me to do? I’m a vampire several centuries old; gorged myself on human blood even if I no longer take it unwillingly- there’s a possibility you would _die_ from a bite from me.”

“Yes,” You breathed- it was strange. You weren’t terrified.

_Why?_

-

Kaiba stiffened.

-

Carmilla paced in her hotel room, you were lounging on the bed like a lazy cat- it was putting her on edge.

She scented the air again- human, a regular human. Not even a _hunter,_ so why in the name of Vlad Tepes did it seem like she was the only one unnerved by the situation here? The human she met that day was not the same as the one laying on her bed- this one-

This one was dangerous.

Every instinct that preyed on human blood salivated at the idea of sinking her teeth into that neck, it wasn’t unusual but it wasn’t something wholly regular either. She had been thinking these past few days- but the Courtiers of Selkie didn’t usually _smell_ this good despite being human. The saltiness of the sea was there- but there was a subset to it now, one that had grown stronger since they last saw each other.

She saw the bandage.

“You got hurt?”

“Some classmates threw me to the ground.”

Her head snapped up, alarmed, “You didn’t go to a hospital?”

“No- I’m fine,” You waved her off. “Now let’s do this.”

Something was wrong.

Something was _very very wrong._

But that smell…

She approached, _stalked_ more like. The scent was growing more intoxicating as she got closer, she thought it was the open wound but looking at it, there was nothing more than a scab. Her legs enclosed around your waist and her hands, nails painted black, pinned your head to the side.

Her mouth watered. The scent growing stronger.

Spit cascaded down her mouth obscenely as she made the mistake of breathing in right before she was able to sink her teeth- it was beneath a vampire like her- but that _smell._

She sunk her teeth.

-

Kaiba shot up from his desk and snarled- startling his secretary as he stomped outside without a glance and began _running._

_-_

There were many misconceptions in the world, even among the mythical creatures that lived in it within shadows and carefully maneuvered truths. Within the veil set by the _Eternal King_ so long ago.

Specifically- about why there weren’t _dragons_ anymore.

Dragons were a mythical race, grand and dangerous- but most of all, they held _power._ Not simple might and flame no, but their entire _being_ was made of magic. Science could not explain their existence, neither could it have. It just wasn’t plausible for something with the body of a dragon to _move_ on the Earth the way they did when they still traversed the land. They were manipulators of magic- so powerful that they could see magic, could _touch it-_ mold it through their _will._

There were stories however, whispered among the oldest of the creatures on the Earth- of how the Dragons observed the growing humans and made a decision.

Their bodies were built from magic-

And through magic- they would _survive._

It wouldn’t turn out the way they would think. It was soon discovered that full dragon transformations wouldn’t last very long, it was too big of a change, too much of a suffocation.

Their mistake was thinking they needed to be hybrids. 

The Eastern White Dragon and the Western Black Dragon. Two opposites, but two overruling Clans over the entirety of the dragon race, both born from the _Eternal King_. They were rivals, vying for dominance among them. But Black or White did not mean color of their scales- no they came in varieties of colors meager humans couldn’t even pretend to comprehend- they were poorly translated descriptions about the natural magics they wielded.

White magic, magic of _Light-_ of the burning sun and the treacherous flame.

Black magic, magic of _Darkness-_ of the endless night and the abyssal terrors.

Opposite, infinite potential and infinite power.

Over time, dragons saw their issues and evolved. As the world grew around them, so too did Dragons. So too did they adapt. As time moved, so too did they change.

The misconception is that Dragons disappeared- unable to maintain their hybrid forms.

This is not true.

The truth of the disappearance of _dragons_ from the Earth.

Wasn’t that they failed to fully integrate, that they failed to transform their bodies into something like humans while maintaining the ability to grow into their mighty forms.

No, the dragons had found a solution to that problem. An answer to the suffocation, the answer of their question of how they would survive. Gifted to them by their originator.

They became _human._

_-_

He smashed through the door of the hotel, and he saw blood.

The human scent of blood smashed through his senses and he let off a curled snarl as he recognized it’s distinct attachment- his eyes flashed, his instincts roared to _rip something apart._

But what he saw did not add up.

The mighty Vampire of the West, Carmilla was panting as she seemed to claw at the wall- blood covered her mouth and her eyes were wide and unseeing. Her teeth stained red with blood as she seemed to heave with an animalistic exhaustion that he instinctively recognized.

He turned to you, and you were looking calm.

_Too calm._

You simply tilted your head at her before turning to him-

But your eyes weren’t right.

 _“A selkie,”_ Your voice murmured- echoing through the room like silk that made his spine tingle. He resisted the urge to bear his neck- to _submit. “Things have changed indeed.”_

You seemed to focus in on something in the air, a hum brushing against his skin that made his hair stand on end.

You lifted up your hand.

And you _grabbed it._

He felt a jolt as he suddenly threw himself forward- arms caging you to the bed and teeth bared- it felt like someone was tugging at his coat but it didn’t feel like it was his skin- more like his very being.

 _“Not too much change then_ ,” You said softly, brushing a finger on whatever you were holding. _“Still the same here.”_

You clenched your fist around it, Kaiba felt something in him cripple- a brief flash of light appeared in his mind’s eye. Weak but still pulsating, resisting against whatever you were doing.

And you _wrenched it apart._

Kaiba gasped as the pain hit- his instinct wanting to whimper as if suddenly hit with a huge loss-

_Loss. The bond._

Somehow you had taken it and physically _ripped it apart_ as if you were rejecting him ritually. It didn’t make _any sense._

But he didn’t like the feeling- the sudden raw _emptiness_ that he realized had been filled up these past few weeks. He felt as if his coat had just been ripped off bodily even if it was _right there;_ the urge to go the nearest pier and _leap_ was overtaking him so much so that he didn’t even realize you had gotten near him, carefully tilting his chin up to meet your eyes.

They were still different- they weren’t you.

Cold, unfeeling. Calculative and carefully hidden away- he couldn’t do anything, not even smell you. The reeking stench of something so much _more_ than him overtook anything he could even try to detect. It was revolting in a way that he felt like he just had his eyes gouged out.

You were frowning at him, moving away- stopping him in his unconscious move to follow helplessly. _“You should go.”_

 _No,_ he wanted to snarl. Refusing the urge to whine at you rejecting him. _I refuse_.

But his body wasn’t listening, instinct overruled his thoughts as he bodily through himself off and _out_ of the hotel room. Refusing to look back even as he felt the you watch him leave.

-

It was weeks after that.

Kaiba had yet to return to school, and returning to the manor there was no longer any trace of you. Even your scent seemed to have been scrubbed clean from the walls of his manor, Mokuba looked confused at the mention of you.

No one knew who he was talking about when he asked.

It was beyond unnerving, it was infuriating; but most irritatingly, he felt like he wanted to _cry.  
_ It wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with, even as a child he had never felt the urge to do as something as pathetic as _bawl his eyes out._ But ever since you had grabbed the bond- the bond that wasn’t even supposed to be _detectable_ by humans, it was as if something of his had been ripped to pieces. Nothing so ridiculous as his _heart_ but more like a _limb._

He felt off balance, so much so that Mokuba quietly requested he be left alone, while he was grateful- he couldn’t help but be…resentful, at the confused look Mokuba gave when he asked him to do a search.

He ignored the fact that resentment wasn’t really what he was feeling.

-

Kaiba was a man fueled by sheer willpower. It served him well as the new leader of his Selkie pod, but there was not one rival left alive who would content Kaiba as fueled by anything other than will and spite. Mokuba- even, would attest that his brother didn’t do blatant displays of emotionalism.

But there was no other person in the world who could see the bigger picture of who he was better than Yugi Muto.

Yugi politely bowed to the servants as they led him into the manor. Trailing behind Mokuba through the winding roads as they went past, for each hallway there seemed to be some sort of massive damage that had occurred there. A broken vase, thrown picture frames- _claw marks._

 _Well,_ Yugi thought himself with some trepidation nipping at his thoughts. _At least I know he’s home?_

Not for the first time did Yugi wish he had his partner to guide him, his shadow half was always a lot better at navigating the Kaiba.

Mokuba looked nervously between him and the door as they approached, the nob of the handle crushed almost to uselessness. Nonetheless, Mokuba tested the handle lightly and nodded in sign that the door still unlocked.

Yugi swallowed, meeting Mokuba’s eyes before he swiftly nodded for the door to be opened.

-

“What do you _want?_ ”

Yugi breathed deep as he watched Kaiba snarl from where he was in the massive tub, the water emitting some sort of sea-like scent as if someone had cut open a bag of salt and dumped it all in. Cold most likely, judging by the discarded bag of ice thrown carelessly in the corner of the huge bathroom. Considering the characteristic trench coat’s appearance on the taller boy’s back, he wouldn’t have really doubted that _that_ was exactly the case.

“Mokuba’s worried about you,” Yugi said carefully, staying right where he was. “He asked me to come checkup.”

“I don’t _need_ checking up.” Yugi resignedly stared into glowing blue eyes, an unimpressed expression etched on his face. “What I _need_ is to get rid of these useless platitudes and _get on with my life_.”

Yugi sighed, shoulders slumping, “He said you were asking about a person? That they’ve been living here for a few days?”

“ _You too?!”_ Kaiba hissed, the water splashed as he moved inside of it- clearly aggravated. “Why doesn’t _anyone_ remember?”

Yugi blinked as he processed Kaiba’s words- it wasn’t often that the man talked about things others seemed to not know, he was usually the complete opposite. Mokuba had said that he had been asking about this mysterious person ever since his return.

“Can you tell me what they look like?” He tried instead, there might be something that the other’s might have dismissed in this. Yugi had known the other for years, but this…

Kaiba looked half drowned, partially blue-ish most likely from the cold water. He’s seen Kaiba panic before, all the way back on Duelist Island when he watched the older boy realize he was going to fail to rescue his brother- the expression on Kaiba’s face seemed almost similar- but…slightly more pained, severe? He wasn’t even sure what he was looking at if he was going to be perfectly honest, but he knew what that slight red tinge meant.

Yugi narrowed his eyes, in that moment, looking a little too much like Yami that the Selkie retreated slightly, “Kaiba, tell me honestly.”

Kaiba grunted.

“Have you been crying?”

Yugi watched wide-eyed as Kaiba reeled back with a snarl; but he had already seen it, already read it in Kaiba’s technical lack of answering. But…Kaiba- _Seto Kaiba_ wasn’t the type of man to just… _cry,_ he was the proudest pain-in-his-behind that he knew, there was no question about it- not even a remnant of a _competition_ for it. So if something was so series that Kaiba was acting…like _this-_ something was seriously wrong.

Somehow, he knew that wherever the Pharaoh was, he was getting chills up his spine.

“Kaiba, tell me everything,” Yugi’s voice was uncharacteristically hard. “ _Now_.”

-

Atem was enjoying his time with his friends when a cold feeling crawled up his spine, paling the young King as he looked around curiously.

“My Pharaoh?”

“It seems my Partner has gone into serious mode,” Atem commented idly under his breath. “I certainly home it isn’t that boy Aigami again. Or Ma’at forbid, _Kaiba._ ”

-

Concern didn’t cover for _half_ the emotions Yugi was feeling after a long, grueling talk, with a _blubbering Kaiba._

He didn’t need to be a genius to realize how _wrong_ that was. Though he did have to comment that Kaiba was a ridiculously childish crier now that the man was doing it. He had to slap Kaiba’s arm from rubbing at his nose thrice in a row as snot dripped down before he handed him a tissue.

_There were so many things wrong with the image of him handing a tissue to a crying Kaiba._

“Why aren’t you more curious about the fact that I’m a Selkie,” Kaiba grumbled under his breath- still sniffing.

“My partner was a dead pharaoh, we’ve had to deal with so much _bullshit_ in the past few years- Kaiba, you being able to turn into a Seal is the _least_ of my concerns,” Yugi deadpanned- which much have been enough of a weird for Kaiba to abruptly snap up and look _betrayed_ at him like he just tore up a blue eyes white dragon right in front of him.

Oh _wait._

“So…what’s the plan?” Yugi said with a sigh.

“Mokuba has yet to get an image trace I assume, if he’s called you instead of giving me results,” Kaiba grumbled- _grumbled._ Yugi seriously wondered if he _died_ somewhere and got body swapped with some other alternate Yugi Muto.

With his life? It was more than just a _valid_ concern, it was a hazard.

“I need to track the vampire down,” Kaiba continued despite the varying emotions Yugi was going through. “Get some answers out of her, considering she drank the blood.”

“There are vampires,” Yugi muttered, looking to the sky and hoping Atem was having a _really_ good time. “Of course, there are vampires- why did your mysterious person get bit in the first place?”

“…” Kaiba turned his head to the side with narrowed eyes- and Yugi wanted to weep with relief, it was classic _I don’t know_ in Kaiba speak- his not so-secret favorite asshole was in there somewhere. “I need to get in contact with the Kitsune.”

 _And there are Kitsune too,_ Yugi sighed. _Of course there are._

-

Sitting in a quiet patch of land on top of a mountain, far away from civilization, you were curled up against the rock, staring as lights of different colors whizzed by. From your vantage point, you could see clusters of them where you were certain some magical creatures were, the ones near the face of the mountain might be Oni. 

You vaguely entertained the idea of asking them directly with an amused twist of lip. 

_-_

“So…” Yugi gingerly rubbed the crease between his eyebrows with a slim thumb in a vain attempt to quell the encroaching ache that had been increasing in intensity these past few hours. For which he made several discoveries he was content _not knowing._

Kitsune were real, so were werewolves, Oni, nogitsune’s were terrified of Kaiba, and there were a boatload of yokai that existed in several “hotspots” around Japan that generally summed up to the fact that Yugi was now privy to a lot of business he was happier to have been ignorant to. Alas- the things he did in the name of Friendship.

Kaiba could take his opinion about that and shove it because Yugi really wasn’t in the mood for that type of foolery.

“Are you going to finish that thought or are you just going to trail off like an idiot?” Kaiba grumbled at him- the taller man was weirdly hunched over on a desk with multiple maps opened. Each color specified a type of…supernatural entity that had reported back to Kaiba- there were some that were uncolored that had yet to bring him any viable news concerning the mysterious person Kaiba was looking for. Still- with the coat hanging over the other like some sort of safety blanket- it did make the sight just a tad ridiculous.

A lot ridiculous but Yugi wasn’t Joey.

“Do we have any idea what happened?” Yugi said instead. “You said that this person was just…human right?”

“No,” Kaiba snarled. “Not even some of the older clans know what the hell happened- and Carmilla isn’t any help. She just kept mumbling ridiculous notion of dragons and of the like, the Japanese representative of Clan Tepes already carted her off.”

Kaiba sullenly looked back down to the maps, “Good riddance.”

Yugi sighed in silence before looking over the map, “Do we have any hints at least?”

“She muttered none sense about dragons,” Kaiba scoffed. “Ridiculous because they no longer exist.”

“Huh? Why?”

“They died out centuries ago, you think an actual dragon would be able to survive the way the world is right now?” Kaiba rolled his eyes. “They’re gone- even if they were arguably the most magical species of the rest of us, there’s no fathomable way for a Dragon to be able to survive the booming human populous. It’s what happened to the unicorns- except the sidhe clans interfered. Even then, the birth of a Unicorn is rare enough to be a celebration lasting months.”

“That doesn’t really answer the question though does it?” Yugi pointed out with a frown. “What caused their destruction? Did humans shoot them down? Was there some big natural disaster?”

“…”

“Cause if they just up and disappeared,” Yugi trailed off. “That just seems suspicious.”

Yugi watched Kaiba take on a look of contemplation.

-

“Seto!”

Yugi grunted from where he laid on the floor as Kaiba stood to full height, Mokuba running full tilt into the room with a scrap of paper in hand. “You got a message from one of the Tengu clans.”

The note was snatched as soon as Mokuba came within range, a puff of colored mist coming from the piece of paper and floating towards the splayed out map. A puff of additional characters floating before disappearing into the air.

“What was that?”

“A location,” Kaiba mumbled under his breath. “What the hell is going on at Mount Fuji?”

“Your mysterious person is at Fuji-san?!”

Kaiba was stopped as Yugi grappled at his arm, eyes narrowed and serious.

“You’re going to do what we talked about? You’re going to _talk_ and _not_ stomp around like an gigantic _jerk_ making assumptions about everything?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes, “We’ll _talk._ And then I’m going to do everything to prove that _I_ get what I want.”

He turned around looking away, softly promising himself under his breath, “Anything I need to do to get back what I lost.”

Yugi let him go.

-

Not wanting the bond to be broken was the last thing he ever thought he wanted when he first caught his coat, his _pelt_ in his arms. He grew even more annoyed finding out it was _you_ specifically. 

For a time, he had a brief hope that you were one of the few imbeciles in the entire school who didn't care about who he was or what his reputation was. You didn't blather on him about being nicer, didn't nag at him for his wealth, you were neither family nor his rival. You didn't know him, and you acted like he was a stranger instead of a celebrity. If there was anyone he would name to Mokuba if his brother asked about any _friends_ he had, he was willing to put up your name on the plate. You didn't annoy him, you were the most tolerable person in the school who wasn't someone to beat at duel monsters.

He could smell you were attracted to him, but he trusted you a little more than everybody else when you never brought it up. 

But when you returned his coat, he had to admit he felt a little...betrayed. Logically, he knew you wouldn't have understood the significance- but still, you were the one person he was hoping would maintain until he walked out of those halls for the last time. It was a fool's notion but he wasn't impervious to them, he only made sure if that's what he wanted- that's how it will be. But feelings were a less than cooperative thing for him to manipulate. 

But then you practically had a break down the moment you did realize what you did, and left him all the more confused. His instincts snapped at him to act, so he followed. Allowed them more pull on his decisions than he would normally allow. Scented you, sheltered you, made sure you were safe. It seemed to help, but then you were so determined to end things. 

He was fine, he agreed even- but then you had to go and decide to respect him and the situation even if he was dragged along by his instincts. Proceeded to toe the line with him even as he could tell you were fighting against it. Caring yet trying not to care too much. Crying when you couldn't help but feel hurt by him, giving him the push when you thought it was for the best, even if it hurt. 

It was infuriatingly selfless and normally he would frown at such things. But it was a little hard to belittle anybody who set their own wants, needs, and pain aside for his own well-being. Moreso since he could _smell_ the lack of any malice intent every time you proved to be a walking headache. 

It was disgustingly human. Fragile, yet stubborn. Self-serving for another's gain. Contradictory in every way that mattered, honorable in every way it shouldn't have. You were exactly like everyone else, but not. 

He just didn't know how much he would miss it until you jumped the gun and broke the bond on your own. 

-

Lying on your back on a tree over top of the Oni village wasn’t exactly the most ideal future you had in mind but it was currently sounding good at the moment.

There was a certain air in the area that made the headache lesson, as a nice bonus, instead of the hammering of twenty different songs hammering in your head, there was one singular _nice_ song that was humming in a drumming beat at the back of your head. Overtaking everything else and providing you the forefront of concentration that caused the migraine. You had been to several areas where the people with sworn fealty to Kaiba were, these Oni were by far the most funny bit, and the temperature around Fuji-san was nice! That’s very important.

“Kaiba-sama?!”

You blinked.

“Where is that _brat_ -“

You startled as multiple fingers pointed up, right where you were.

You blinked.

“Nehh~?” You tilted your head, “So you knew we was here?”

One of the Oni shuffled in place, “It’s a little hard _not_ to know you’re around.”

You snorted, hopping down. Deftly landing on your feet, hands in pockets as you sauntered forward- a sly smile on your face as you tilted your head. “Hi~”

“What the hell has gotten into you?!” The blue-eyed seal snarled, a rosy blush on his cheeks. “And what is that _stink_?”

“Ooo- Selkie-sama is asking questions,” You mused. “That’s an interesting thing, is it the first time in a while?”

“Why are you _acting_ like this-?” Kaiba gruffed. “It’s…”

“Hmmm?”

“Out of character.”

“Awww well…probably…hm, found out why.”

“Why _what_?”

“Why my parents are so shitty!” You giggled leaning back a bit- it seemed there was a mysterious power in the air that seemed to swell. Providing you a surface to lean on as you tilted back with a wide grin. “Neee, wanna know a secret?”

“For the love of-“ Kaiba growled, reaching out to grab a fistful of your shirt. Shaking slightly as the scent began to grow stronger- instincts yelping in reaction as it took on an air of intensity he couldn’t identify. “What are you- what is this-?”

You giggled, carding a hand down the back of his coat before stopping on a spot just before his tail bone, leaning over.

It resulted in an odd sight as the Oni present turned away with pinkish faces, Kaiba himself startling as he found himself in an odd position he never thought he would find himself in. One leg dangling up because of the difference in height as you leaned over him. It was because of this startling difference that he noticed something.

Your teeth had _fangs._

“Secret reveal time,” You snickered. “We’re a _dragon_.”

-

Mokuba startled as Kaiba busted through the doors of the Kaiba mansion.

“And coming from the entrance presenting the Lord of _Casa De La Kaiba-_ Seto Kaiba, Head of the Pod,” A voice echoed from the entrance- to which he found a mysterious person with a sly face as you allowed yourself to be dragged by Seto.

His brother. Seto Kaiba. Infamous, arrogant, terrifying CEO and the power in Japan. His brother who’s ego was arguably bigger than the territory he ruled over-

His brother who was _blushing._

“Seto…? What-?”

“Oh Hi Mokuba!”

Mokuba’s mood instantly dropped, narrowing his eyes at the stranger, “Who are _you_? And what have you done to my brother?”

You giggled, “Yeah yeahhhhh we erased it, hmmmmm kaykay, come here Mokie.”

Mokuba backed up as you approached, fingers wiggling at him. “Don’t come closer. Um, please.”

“Polite yes, that’s good especially when you’re talking to a giant lizard! But that’s okay I’m not mad, just don’t move a bit,” You snickered, reaching over and booping his nose. “Boop!”

Mokuba’s eyes widened- his body visibly freezing before recognition began to take over his eyes.

“You?! Wait- why do you smell weird?”

“ _We_ smell fine! It’s yous who’s all _weird,_ ” You cackled. “With all your…bubbly blue things floating around and making songs, it’s all funny entertaining! Ah! It’s the pharaoh’s man, hello pharaoh’s man- stay still gots to boop you too.”

Yugi, looking very much done with the world, didn’t move and accepted the boop before blinking. “Did you erase my memory?”

“Yeeep!” You belted out a bit of a hyena like laughter that echoed through the mansion. “Still processing the memories so I needed _tiimeee._ Ah, where’s the hot neck-biter?”

Kaiba growled.

“She’s pretty stop pouting,” You reached up to pat his cheek with a gentle _pat pat_ that looked absolutely _ridiculous_ when you attempted to pull away- stopped because Kaiba _followed that hand down._

“Mokuba, did someone spike my tea?”

“If they did I think they also got my milk Yugi.”

“Aw,” You mused as you ruffled Kaiba’s hair. “It’s okay you’re pretty hot too Seto.”

Mokuba watched in horror as Kaiba gave off a _whine_ at that before looking at each other, the younger of the two turning in a complete 180 degree angle to leave the room. While Kaiba’s face flamed red anew.

Yugi scrambled to follow, “Mokuba wait, let me come with you-“

-

You were lounging in the classic _Draw Me Like Your French Girl_ pose on the couch in Kaiba’s office while humming; meanwhile, Yugi, Kaiba, and Mokuba seated off near Kaiba’s desk and staring where you were lounging.

“This is ridiculous,” Kaiba hissed- looking away with a crawling pinkness climbing from his neck. _Again._ “Absolutely _ludicrous_.”

“Well I think we can all agree that this is stranger than Joey not picking a fight with you Kaiba but I think the more important question to ask is _What is going on with you_?”

“Seconded,” Mokuba added, nervously looking between his brother and current source of confusion on the couch while he nursed a mug of warm milk- for his sanity. “Because I’m starting to wonder if we have a political incident with the Fae here.”

“There’s a _scent_ ,” Kaiba snarled- pressing his fingers together and pinching the bridge of his nose- it made the unfortunate picture of Kaiba nursing a headache. Or a hangover. “It’s _pissing me off_.”

“A _smell_ is making you all-“ Yugi waved a hand. “ _Weird?”_

“I know you’re more sensitive than I am Seto but this is kind of above and beyond the Selkie bark of duty,” Mokuba said dryly. “I’m a little torn between being worried and taking pictures for future blackmail.”

“Don’t you _dare_.”

Mokuba made a motion of surrender, carefully not declaring anything before taking a long sip of his milk, “But still, this is probably the strangest thing we’ve ever dealt with- and we’re… _us_.”

“If there is _anyone_ who should be disgruntled by this it’s _me_ ,” Kaiba snarked- attempting to glare in your direction.

You caught his eyes and smiled, wiggling your fingers in response.

“Holy shit,” Yugi muttered as Kaiba looked away, slightly pink and hand half up to wave back in response. “Did I die, why isn’t Atem the first one to greet me?”

“My brother has turned into a Shojo main character Yugi, this isn’t exactly the most ideal afterlife ever.”

Kaiba seemed to wrestle with himself as he forced his hand down, eye twitching.

“Okay wait so are you _flustered_ or…?”

“There are…” Kaiba’s words were practically _forced._ “Fuwa. Fuwa. Things.”

“…”

Yugi slowly turned as Mokuba did, face somber as they wordlessly conversed in the face of the insanity that has become their lives.

_Fu._

_Wa._

_Fu._

_Wa._

_You sure we aren’t dead?_ Yugi thought meaningfully.

 _I wish we were,_ Mokuba responded with a twitch of his eyebrows. _Then the world would make **sense.**_

“The genre of this manga was _so_ not Shojo,” Yugi muttered under his breath. “How did things turn out like this…?”

“If Seto’s the main character doesn’t this mean the genre is Shonen ai?”

“Either way sounds like we just walked into the twilight zone,” Yugi groaned. “Okay- ignoring the glaring obvious wrongness of the world- how are we going to fix this? I thought the problem started with the whole Selkie mating thing.”

“The bond was rejected- otherwise I have no idea Seto decided to up and take a swimming weekend vacation,” Mokuba sighed- rubbing his temples. “That being said, you never did say how that happened before the full moon.”

“I grabbed it.”

Three eyes turned to your amused form on the couch with varying expressions: Yugi’s was one of confusion, Mokuba’s one of visible disbelief, and Kaiba’s a flinch as he felt the phantom pain echo.

“And ripped it to pieces,” You continued, head lolling to the side with a pop of your neck. “I thought that’s what we- ah, _I_ wanted? It’s very strange, that’s what we remember anyway.”

“…What _you_ remember?” Mokuba echoed.

“Mn,” You nodded your head. “That moment was kind of a blur, we had to stop the Vampire from drinking any of my blood. _I_ had to stop the Vampire? Well, either way, she would have died if we let her drink anymore.”

Yugi frowned, the all-important question escaping him, “…Why would she have died?”

“Well from the memories of course, we have lots of them over the years. Granted it’s not all ours? Except it is? More like mine ancestors. And great grandma. And great half uncle? That’s a weird one,” You twitched in place. “We is them but we are also me, how strange. It’s all very funny and strange and _what dat?”_

Mokuba and Yugi turned from the current confusion personified as they twitched into an odd direction facing the wall, the only other person who reacted in a dissimilar way sniffed the air with a snarl.

“Oh! It’s a neck-“

“ _Vampire_ ,” Kaiba twitched. “What are you doing in my territory?!”

“-biter! It’s the OG neck-biter! Vlad bro what is up? Is that what we say? No no I think it’s just how are you?” You cackled before scooting forward. “Wow- don’t you look like somebody’s sugar daddy.”

Yugi and Mokuba ignored the whining protest from Kaiba, for their own sanity.

Vladimir Tepes, Dracula, the original vampire took one look- up and down your form before twitching. A visible look of surprise on his face before he tilted his head. “New body?”

“Yussu! And you speak Japanese! That’s new! Old? We don’t know.”

Vladimir nodded before sighing, “I suppose you want me to keep it quiet?”

“Yes! Especially from Cu Chulainn. And that brat Nuada, seriously- has he changed at all?”

“I heard he was dating a human now.”

“Holy _shit_ ,” You snickered. “Aight aight- fair, what’s his name? I bet it’s John.”

“It is.”

“Hehhehehehe.”

“I’m guessing you two are familiar with each other,” Mokuba said serenely. “Mokuba Kaiba, pleasure to be your acquaintance Lord Tepes, but I don’t believe we invited you in.”

“We are,” Vladimir looked to the side as Kaiba snarled in a lower pitch. “Friends. Only friends.”

“I mean yeah it would have been pretty weird if we dated, we would’ve probably killed you on accident,” You snorted leaning back on the couch. “Besides we don’t think you swung that way? Or is that Gabriel-? One of you was married.”

“That was Gabriel.” He confirmed before bowing to Mokuba. “Apologies for the startle, I was invited in by a member of your staff.”

“Fired.” Both Kaibas chimed.

“Savage,” You responded apathetically. “But makes sense.”

“So considering you’re here now, I’m to guess you know what’s going on?”

“Well yes, that’s why I’m here,” Vladimir nodded. “With the _Eternal King’s_ return in the world, there isn’t a _small_ group of us who are interested. We are lucky that the Vampire Clans were informed first of the rest of our world - my thanks to you Lord Kaiba for largely closing off news of the _Eternal King_ to primarily on your isles.”

Kaiba grunted.

Mokuba frowned, “Why is he acting that way?”

“I believe it is because he sees me as competition, though I am largely uninterested- I am of similar rank to him,” Vladimir mused. “The _Eternal King_ is desired by many after all, what with all that magical finesse in those fingers- though I admit I did not foresee your return being more powerful.”

“We’ve incarnated into united blood lines,” You drawled, seeming to straighten without doing so. A different expression overcoming your eyes as you suddenly seemed to sharpen at a glance. “Most likely a conscious effort of my blood relatives part to bring us back. Though we are not as we were, it is an effort of many to separate us from our current life, dare I say, we are changed forever. It is easier as time passes- I wager it would be some many moons before we manage to return some relative normalcy- though it seems the situation is more complicated than before.”

“Oh?”

You nodded your head to Kaiba, “We had been bonded accidentally by the traditions of the Selkie- I’ve removed the bond but it seems the removal was not as smooth as I would have liked it to be. I had to remove a nearly mature bond. Has tradition changed much? I had thought it was dictated that a bond would not form until _after_ initial courting.”

The vampire shook his head, “Times have changed, the frequency of Selkie-human citing have increased since you last walked the Earth. As such, it seems the Selkies have altered their conditions since they are not to be seen as frequently. They are far too important to the Isle territories to maintain such traditions.”

“That would explain the rather dangerous technique of rejection,” You sighed, a complicated expression that aged your face by many years beginning to form as you visibly winced. “Honestly, what were those children thinking bringing us back, there is more complications to my return than far necessary. You would pity this poor life Vlad, it has _anxiety_.”

“To be frank to you _Eternal King_ , your children’s penchant for competition has yet to cease, even in this era of the Dragons.”

Both Kaibas snapped out of their disbelief at the swift change in your mannerisms enough to notice the title, said in a strange gravelly language that seemed to rush through their veins in both comfort and unease. Comfort knowing it is absolute truth, unease not knowing _why._

You huffed, “I suppose you’re right. What of the other elder clans?”

“They have not heard of your return, though many would like to know. Merlin especially.”

Yugi was most likely more confused than ever, but where Mokuba simply sighed- Kaiba turned with a huff as he crossed his arms at the mention of the meddlesome nut that was respected but remained to be a frustrating powerhouse in their world.

“Merlin? Is he not still sulking in that tower of his? Really, you’d think he get some action _beyond_ his lost love.” You pouted. “As partial as he is to his succubi blood, it really cannot be healthy.”

“He sulks still yes,” Vladimir sighed with a shrug. “There is little else he can do but wait for his King’s return. Though I admit being confused by his self-imposed rules myself. What are your plans than, _Eternal King_?”

You hummed, “I must focus on attempting to separate us. This is really unfortunate that we have awakened this way- but the _Descendent_ seemed to have been desperate to remove the bond. The appearance of several of our people must have triggered some of the initial instincts. I assume Carmilla has taken the brunt of her mistake?”

“She has- she’s also quite head over heels- I don’t believe I’ve seen her crave anyone’s blood as much as she has in the recent century.” Vladimir ignored the growing snarling in the background, a little amused by it but You weren’t reacting so he deemed it safe to ignore in the meantime.

“I hope she drank enough because that is the last she will ever taste,” Your eyes flashed warningly. “It was reckless, she should know better than to allow herself to be drawn to scent alone. What of her mate?”

“She has yet to take on a mate.”

You snorted, “She will be disciplined then I imagine. Well, go on back home Vladimir, it has been nice to see you again- but this must be the last until we return properly.”

Vladimir bowed at the waist, disappearing in a cloud of darkness that seeped through the walls of the manor before erasing completely.

You sighed, leaning back on the couch with a frown, “What a mess this is.”

“Yeah- uh- _care to explain?_ ” Mokuba responded. “You left us behind at the second sentence _Eternal King_ or whatever the hell you- did he even _speak_ Japanese when he called you that?”

“Ah- _Eternal King_ is our title, we are the First Dragon, from which all dragons hail. It seems through the effort of one of our existing lingering blood lines, they have attempted to bring our return prematurely.” You crinkled your nose at this. “Really- what were they thinking? Do they not know the risks of arranging our return?”

“You- wait, you aren’t making sense,” Yugi leaned forward. “You’re called the _Eternal King_ but how come you’re saying stuff like there’s more than one of you?”

“Well that is the way we have formed. The _Eternal King_ is all of the past incarnations of us, all the memories compiled into one. Whoever the descendent is, receives our memories slowly in order to properly integrate and understand without being lost under the weight of all of us combined. This one was not trained well, we believe there may also have been a block that had only began to crumble once the bond was established- finally shattered in a survival response.”

“What do you mean by block?”

Eyes turned as Kaiba responded verbally for the first time, though it was more than a little unnerving that the man was pouting.

They ignored it.

“It seems the _Descendent_ may have blocked off the slow trickle of memories,” You said slowly. “Now they are overwhelmed- I suspect they are locked away deep inside our psyche.”

“How do we bring them back?”

You- or rather, the _Eternal King,_ eyed Kaiba from where they were sitting before seeming to come to a decision. Rising to their feet and approaching until they were standing before Kaiba himself. The later moving slightly and looking Kaiba in the eye.

The air in the room seemed to grow headier, making Mokuba’s head swim slightly as he leaned heavily into the arm of the chair where he was sitting.

“Impressive,” They commented, tilting their head. “You crave, but you do not submit.”

“I’m Seto Kaiba,” He drawled, staring them in the eyes. Though the effect of intimidation was rather ruined by the fact that his face was flush. “Screw the rules.”

The _Eternal King_ grinned.

“You guys might wanna leave.”

-

Kaiba was red in the face, it was more than amusing, it was hilarious.

The Eternal King was thoroughgoingly entertained.

“Why all the care?” They asked, tilting their head. “We have access to some of the memories, you seem rather resistant yourself to this bond, we thought you’d be happier with it removed.”

“…It was annoying at first,” Kaiba admitted. “There were emotions I’ve had that I thought were the result of the bond. However…things have changed since you removed it.”

“Oh?”

“I realized that there was more to my feelings than just the bond- it was made clearer with you interfering with my business,” Kaiba sneered. It may seem like he was being foolish, but he wasn’t. The bond did push emotions, but the loss of it only accented what was truth and what wasn’t. Amplifying emotions to a disgusting amount. His time away, his time in the ocean, it was then he realized how he mourned the loss of the bond. Not just its presence but the small hints of emotion he received from you. Your steady presence in his life, the way you didn’t hesitate to soothe him from nightmares even if you were reluctant to spend time with him. The breakfast, the coffee preference, the soft teasing and the way you attempted to cull your own attraction to him. It was things you did, not because you liked him but because you also _respected_ him.

Even the returning of his coat.

You didn’t know he was a selkie, but you knew it was important to him. That should have been his first clue, but he too disgruntled at your audacity to yell at him to understand that until he lost it. Your continued rebellion against the idea of him courting you only added to it until he convinced himself that what the two of you had formed was something neither of you wanted.

“And can you pull back that stink? It’s annoying.”

They smiled, “It isn’t us.”

Kaiba startled. “What do you mean?”

“Though we are now here, the responses of this body are still very much the result of the _Descendent._ The original owner of this body if you will, what you are smelling is not from us- but from your Mate. Or at least you are viewed as a mate, dragons are finnicky you know.”

“…My Mate is human.”

They laughed, “Honestly, what do you think became of us dragons? We continue to thrive because we adapted. That meant matching up with the ruling species, _we_ are dragons. Your mate? They too _are_ a dragon but they are _also_ **Human** _._ We don’t pretend to believe you may understand, but think for a bit Kaiba, dragons are largely made of magic. It wouldn’t be much a stretch to say that we turned ourselves into humans. It’s just that our powers have accentuated the subtle signals we now give off, no longer just human attraction- but also the attraction from a _dragon_. Do tell Kaiba, how does it feel to be the swooning prince in this fairy tale? You have a legendary beast wishing you to be theirs, and vice versa. Fair warning, we are far more possessive than any other.”

“…Can we at least…talk?”

“Hm,” They seemed to make a face at this before. “We will try, it may not last long. We are attempting to draw a person and isolate them from whole lifetimes spanning centuries, it cannot be permanent until some time has passed.”

“Understood.”

The _Eternal King_ nodded, then your body went limp.

Kaiba reacted instantaneously, shooting forward to catch you before you fell fully to the floor. Every sense that was open to the world was alarmed as your body dropped temperatures by massive amounts, your heartbeat was slower and your breathing was shallow.

But you were blinking up at him, and he didn’t even have the ability to stop himself from blushing.

“You’re red,” You whispered at him. “Why? ‘Supposed to be blue.”

Kaiba sighed, “It’s your fault. You and your shortcuts. You didn’t even give me enough time.”

You frowned, eyes unfocused and blinking several times in a row as if you were sluggish from nothing more than sleep rather than the pressing memories of countless personalities that have lived throughout time. “Eh?”

“You acting recklessly,” Kaiba started- cursing at himself as your response seemed to grow even more sluggish. The pressure from the fact that his time with you was limited began to bear down at him, his wounded pride (and feelings, though he refused to say no matter _what_ Muuto said) began to throb in agony at the prospect. He didn't have enough time to consider what he was saying, “What I mean is- I mean- for fuck’s sake, I was going to try and convince you not to break the bond.”

Your eyes widened a minuscule amount.

“I probably wouldn’t have gotten there until after the bond was already broken- I know I’m stupid laugh it up,” He grumbled. “But sue me for thinking that this was what’s best for both of us. You kept saying how much you didn’t want it- I…thought that it was the bond talking when I found myself feeling…disgruntled, by that.”

“..Changed?”

“No, now I’m going to court your dumbass properly,” He glared at you. “Do you realize how hard you’ve made things with your bullshit? How much more imbecilic I have to act now because of the smell your emitting?”

“….Con…fused..”

“Mokuba wouldn’t understand it, but I’m guessing that Vampire Lord and that _Other_ one,” He spat. “Probably knows what I’m talking about. You smell- good.”

He glared at you, “Get better quicker, then I’ll explain it properly.

You looked at him in bewilderment before you began to puff light sighs in lieu of laughter.

_You chose a good one._

_I know._

-

It would be later that Mokuba, and by proxy, Kaiba would understand the full scope of this supposed _scent_ that was making Kaiba act more than a little out of character. The explanation was just about as complicated as it tended to be when Kaiba was concerned, at least, that’s how both Mokuba and Yugi felt once they coerced (Read: Blackmailed) an explanation from the stubborn seal.

The scent of a _Descendent_ according to some multiple accounts including Kaiba, was something that was unfairly drawing once noticed. To individuals who interact with humans on a more common basis, it was akin to an especially good tasting human (true). However, it seems the chemistry of the scent changed by massive amounts once the aspect of the _Eternal King_ was activated due to a necessary survival.

When forced- it was like a slab of steak being cooked instead of smoked. Not only were you more surprised about what good it smelled, you wanted a piece of it if you craved such things.

The issue is that the _Eternal King_ is _the_ dragon. The most powerful entity of Dragon that would and will ever exist in their world, a piece of magic so powerful it trumps the inherent magic stored and cycled through the different nemetons around the world that serve as hubs of magic across the lay lines. It was more power than _any_ magical creatures were able to access, even the illustrious Phoenix. In fact, the Phoenix _evolved_ from a branched out version of the Dragon. Dragons were the hottest pieces of meat you could get your hands on, to carry on the steak analogy. But in a definition more appropriate to the context: Picture if you will, a relatively good looking person in High School- and imagine them suddenly gaining royal titles: King, for example.

Suddenly that good looking person gets all the more alluring.

Add the fact that most, if not all magical creatures are comparatively weaker to Dragons in terms of ability. The Selkies had their traditions, the Fae had their rules, even the Dullahans had limits to their abilities. From the Onis to the Windegos to the Vampires and Werewolves: compared to Dragons, no creature in the world with magic could match up to the damn near limitless potential of a _Dragon._ Much less, _the_ Dragon.

The _Eternal King_ the dragon who sacrificed it all for the safety of everyone else, who manipulated magic so finely and with so much finesse that they successfully veiled off the world into two. The Unnamed King, the entity for which _all_ magical creatures have to thank for their continued survival. The one who took the problem of the dragons _and offered a solution._ Revered and loved for their deeds, sought for their power. For their actions, the King of Kings they are nicknamed- even if nearly no one in the world is around to know of them.

At Vladimir’s written explanation for their name, their _title,_ Kaiba would wonder to himself briefly just how exactly you came to care so much for him with so little.

Kaiba would later describe (albeit, unwillingly) that the scent you gave off was the type that grated on his nerves. It was powerful and encompassing, warm and soft to the point where he was relatively certain (the following information was coerced by blackmail) that he had seen _flowers_ and _pink_ around your person. More than that, it gave off the alluring potential of _Power._ Which meant that Kaiba was reduced to a bumbling, blushing, romance main character in the face of their crush.

In the bluntest way possible: It made him instinctively want to seduce you to choose him- and attempt to tear the limbs off of any competition he had. Potentially or not.

Because that scent wasn’t just meant as a natural scent, no. If it did, one would only find _power_ written into it, a _warning._ The scent you were giving off meant that you were _interested._ The equivalent of taking the title of main love interest and sticking it on your person, _that_ was the type of effect it had.

Kaiba really, _really_ hated it.

Mokuba would later interject, that he only hated it because he was _embarrassed._

No one believed Kaiba when he denied the accusations.

-

_Some Months Later:_

“Oh sorry.”

Azuma Mana and Hada Suzu froze in place as they watched you straighten yourself, looking up from where you had been reading to blink in surprise as soon as you sensed their stop.

“…Um?” You trailed off slightly in visible confusion. “You guys okay?”

“Y-You’re back,” Azuma stuttered. “You…”

“Yeah,” You stared at the two of them. “Are you guys gonna hit me again cause I _swear-“_

“NO!” Azuma and Hada froze and glanced at each other before looking down. Hada responding in their shared stead. “No, we um. We actually- we’re very sorry about that- we were stupid and you don’t have to forgive us! We were being more than just jerks, straight up- we were _bad._ But um, I hope we- um, we _all_ can be friends at least?”

Your silence made them panic a little bit.

“Don’t have to, no pressure- we won’t bother you if you don’t want us around.”

“Well I didn’t say that.”

They looked up hopefully.

“You understand what you did wrong right?”

“Yes! Yes we do- we _both_ do- and we’re sorry, um, if you want us to do anything with you we’ve got connections with the student council-“

You laughed, fibbing your arm at them, “No no, as long as you understand what you did wrong we’re all good. How ‘bout we start as classmates though yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“We’ll take it. Um,” Azuma raised her hands slightly, and for the first time, you noticed a small bag in them. “It’s Valentine's chocolate- _not that it’s for Valentines!_ But um, we’d like you to accept it as a small token of our apologies.”

“Oh- well sure.” You smiled, taking the offered up bag, “Alright. See you guys around, I gotta catch up with everybody else, PE today.”

They both watched you leave, faces thoroughly red and blushing- a scene that had not gone unnoticed by one growly Seto Kaiba.

You threw their chocolate in the trash as soon as you were out of their sight.

-

“Yugi,” Jounouchi hissed. “What the _fuck is going on?_ ”

“Joey,” Yugi sighed tiredly. “ _Language_.”

“Sorry Yug- but um, Kaiba is blushing. Are we dead? Is the world gonna end?”

“No Joey the world will be fine. My sanity won’t if you keep _pointing out every weird thing Kaiba’s been doing lately,_ ” Yugi’s eye twitched- though he would be the last to admit that he happily accepts the pictures and typed out pieces of laughter Mokuba sends him as part of their agreement to share blackmail information with each other.

Though he couldn’t blame Joey for this one- not even Anzu could say anything- it was _just that weird._ Yugi at least, had the luxury of building _immunity._

“Are you gonna take it or not,” Kaiba half growled, thoroughgoingly _red_ in the face.

You startled from staring at the _gigantic_ plush Blue Eyes White Dragon, with _balloons,_ and _roses_ \- **white ones.** It was officially far weirder than when Kaiba _first_ started acting _super_ weird, you were almost to shocked to be alarmed. “Uh yeah sure, damn, what am I gonna do for white day?”

“ _How_ the hell should _I_ know?” Kaiba hissed.

That was enough to get a laugh from you, your eyes crinkling at him as you gave him a small smile, the… _offerings_ held against your chest, “Thanks Seto.”

“I-I,” Kaiba looked away blushing. “Shut up.”

“ _Oh my god,”_ Joey half screamed. “Why??? Why is he being _tsundere-_ Yugi is he okay? Does he need medical assistance- I will _fight_ Pegasus and his crazy _all over again_ if it means _this_ **stops**.”

“Shut _up_ Joey,” Anzu elbowed him as he watched the scene in semi-awe. “It’s kinda cute so _don’t ruin it._ ”

“’Ey you’re only saying that because you’ve got a _bet_ riding on the two getting back together,” Joey hissed. “This is a matter of national security Anzu.”

“For White Day.”

You looked up, temporarily halting your admiration of the detail on the stitching of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon plush (actually you were just staring at it in bewilderment and wondering how much the thing cost). “Oh, yeah?”

“Dinner,” Kaiba said stiffly. “Take me out.”

Joey made a noise not dissimilar to a dying horse.

“I guess yeah, sure,” You smiled and attempted to not coo at him.

You gave up halfway and teased him in his office once you were out of school.

-

Vladimir lounged on your couch while you were doing homework, idly scrolling through his phone.

He was a vampire, the fact that he used technology fails to correlate with any implication that he was unable to do so.

“How is the Lord Kaiba doing with the courting?”

“Is this our equivalent of girl talk? Or is it us discussing the hottest cheerleader,” You joked with a chuckle. “He’s being quite charming. I think he’s just about sent close to fifty students in our school to therapy. Katsuya especially, poor guy.”

You smirked, “Not that I’m complaining.”

“You are certainly more enthusiastic in this lifetime,” Vladimir admitted. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flattered in a courting.”

“Yes well- none of my courtiers were _Seto Kaiba_ ,” You mused. “I suppose soon enough it’s not just going to be the _rules_ that he’s _screwing_.”

“…You are _so_ old.”

“Oh shove it,” You chuckled, leaning back into your chair and swinging around to face him. “What of you Vlad, any new flames? Hook-ups? Booty calls? Juicy gossip that may interest me?”

“Even if I did that is none of _your_ concern.”

“Hey! I gave you my blessing when you started going by _Dracula_ ,” You pouted at him. “Consulted Stoker and everything and I let _you_ run around with it.”

The vampire rolled his eyes, rude.

You tilted your head slightly, your eyes canting and flashing with a glow of power while your body was hooked to the back of the chair in a semi-equivalent charming seductive way that normally got Kaiba breaking the armrest of his chairs. “Come on, how long’ve we known each other?”

“I knew you when you _lived in my time_ ,” Vladimir pointed out. “ _This-_ snarky assholery is all the you of this lifetime. But- if you must know, I am currently interested- though I am unsure if it will come to anything. That is all I am willing to divulge, a gentleman does not kiss and tell.”

“Sure sure,” You mused- stretching in place before a serious expression took over. “Have my grandparents been dealt with?”

Vladimir tilted his head in answer.

“He asked me you know,” He said quietly, garnering your attention again, just for a moment. “About how selkie courting used to be.”

You huffed slightly, “I’ve not become a prude enough to want it that way. I believe two years in the minimum before coat offering, if my past selves’ memory serve.”

“I think he wants to do it properly,” Vladimir smiled gently. “He’s a good man, I can understand why you like him so much.”

“Seto Kaiba?” You snorted. “He isn’t.”

“Apologies, allow me to amend then,” He conceded. “He’s good enough for you?”

“No,” You smiled, remembering the hazy days where you were hopping around Japan. It was still unknown what exactly you were doing, but it was more of the following instinct rather than attempting to pursue any true intent- it’s why you ended up on Fuji-san after all.

Kaiba’s territory was the whole of Japan, that didn’t necessarily say he was any good at managing that sheer expanse of land. Of taking care of everyone within it.

“He cares, even if he doesn’t seem to,” You mused. “He is kind but with reason. He is strict but amendable. He protects what needs protecting, negotiates what needs negotiating. But he puts his foot down at a single crossed hair length. He’s an asshole- handsome and petty- but…”

He takes care of what’s his, from his coat to his rivals to his brother to the people under his care.

You rested your head in your arms, “He’s a good Guardian. And if there’s anyone who appreciates that; it would be a _King_.”

-

It would be another two years before Kaiba would drop his coat in front of you.

In the bedroom of his home, in an aura of comfortable cohabitation, he stood in front of you and dropped the long coat at your feet. Staring at you and gruffly ordering you to "pick it up already."

You picked it up with a smile, offering it to him graciously as you carefully folded it loosely onto his back- the sleeves dangling from his shoulders. And a small peck to his cheek.

On the first week, he shifted into selkie form in front of you.

On the second week, he belittled your parents until they hung their heads in shame.

On the third week, he took you around his territory and smugly declared the expanse of his wealth. Even as he slightly seemed out of sorts when you passingly mentioned you had already seen it, the huffy attitude he carried around for a while being unfairly endearing.

On the fourth week, valiantly controlling his blush and barely stuttering, he declared his intent to bind you to him as a _Mate._

When the moon was high and the waves were at its peak, with the sounds of the sea crashing in a soothing motion of back and forth. He sealed your bond permanently.

Your eyes glowed, your sharp canines glinting playfully, and you shifted along with him. Sleek and long, powerful and full of magic. You would have dwarfed him several sizes if you hadn’t controlled your transformation exactly, the size of a decent orca despite the obvious differences between your chosen form to swim alongside him. You declared yourself to the world guarded by the veil and you cheekily added.

_Taken._


End file.
